A two-year budget for North Carolina that will cut sales taxes and which Democrats claim will lead to thousands of lost education jobs is now law.
The General Assembly completed its override of a veto issued by Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday.
The Republican-led Senate overrode the veto on a party-line vote of 31-19. Early Wednesday morning, Republican House members along with five Democratic representatives successfully voted to override Perdue's veto.
"Final passage of this bipartisan budget signals a new, more responsible era in North Carolina state government -- one in which legislators spend tax dollars wisely, fuel job creation in the private sector, and refuse to settle for average results in education," Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said in a statement.
The override means the budget that spends $19.7 billion next year will take effect. It lets temporary taxes expire, meaning the base sales tax consumers pay will be cut by a penny.
"[O]ur $19.7 billion budget will do more for public classrooms and help the economy create more jobs than her own proposal," Berger said.
In a rare midnight session, House members voted 73-46 to cancel the first-ever gubernatorial veto of a budget spending plan.
Chief budget writer Rep. Harold Brubaker, (R) Randolph County, told House members. "This budget is good for all of us."
"The sky is not falling. Teachers will be in the classroom this fall, students will be in the classroom this fall."
But Perdue, along with most Democratic lawmakers, disagree.
House Minority Leader Joe Hackney, (D) Orange County, urged lawmakers to vote against the budget bill.
"This is the worst education budget in modern history, the worst university budget in modern history and the worst community college budget in a long, long time," said Rep. Hackney.
Educators packed the House gallery on three hours notice to listen to the brief debate just after midnight.
Majority Leader Skip Stam, (R) Wake County, called this budget a job creator.
He quoted the Kenan Flagler Business School with an estimate of 14,900 private-sector jobs created with the expiration of the temporary sales tax and income surtax.
Following the historic vote, House members recognized the teachers in attendance with a message: "We appreciate everything you do."
Gov. Bev Perdue responded to the defeat and said, "This budget is shortsighted and irresponsible. It cuts a full half billion dollars more out of education than I proposed in my budget. It not only damages our education system but also hurts public safety, our environment and our ability to care for those who need us most."
"This budget is fiscally responsible and economically sustainable," said House Speaker Thom Tillis, (R) Mecklenburg County. "It reverses a decades-long trend of state government spending beyond its means, and puts over a billion dollars back into the hands on North Carolinians. This is a good day for our state."
The override now goes to the Senate where Republicans hold a veto-proof majority.
Once that chamber cancels the veto, the budget automatically becomes law.
North Carolina governors have vetoed 15 bills since receiving the power in 1997, but one has never rejected the budget plan.
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