State lawmakers are still at odds over putting together a budget for the fiscal year that has already begun.
On Thursday House budget negotiators raised their proposal for teacher pay increases from five to six percent. But Senate leaders say they won't accept that offer. They'd like to give educators an 11 percent raise, a number that was laid out in their budget proposal released weeks ago. Phil Berger is the President Pro Tem of the Senate.
"We have said all along that teacher raises are the number one priority of the Senate. We continue to have that as our number one priority and what we intend to do is to continue to push for the most robust teacher raise that we can put forward," said Berger.
But Governor McCrory said today that an 11 percent raise for teachers would require too many drastic cuts in other areas. He supports the House's six percent raise proposal.
Senate budget negotiators are heading home today, but House negotiators intend to hold a conference committee meeting by themselves Friday.