North Carolina House seeks higher worker pay, child care and voucher money in budget bill

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina teachers and state employees would receive higher salary bumps than are currently planned, while child care providers could access some financial aid as federal assistance ends in a state budget measure advanced Tuesday by House Republicans.

They are running their own a bill that would adjust the second year of the two-year state government budget enacted last fall because private negotiations with Senate GOP counterparts on a consensus spending plan in recent weeks have faltered. Senate leader Phil Berger has complained that House GOP leaders want to spend more than Republicans in his chamber are willing and from reserves.

So House Speaker Tim Moore decided to run a House-only measure this week to emphasize their priorities and potentially prod senators to act. But the move raises the possibility that legislators could adjourn this summer without a budget law that contains wide-ranging adjustments.

The enacted second year of the budget already has rank-and-file state employees poised to receive 3% raises in the coming year, with teachers on average also receiving 3% raises. But under the $31.7 billion House plan making its way through three committees on Tuesday, state employees would see 4% raises instead, while correctional and probation and parole officers would get 9% raises to reflect recruiting and retention challenges in the fields.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Arizona lawmakers pass budget closing $1.4