Republican legislative leaders released their plan for the state budget late Monday. The bill includes a 6.5 percent average pay hike for teachers, raises for full-time state employees, and a $60 million fund for continued Hurricane Matthew recovery.
What the budget does not include, however, is much room for debate. State Republican leaders have said they plan to refuse budget amendments and the process is closed to public input. House Minority Leader Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake) has called the process “secretive,” and critics have characterized it as dictatorial.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Jeff Tiberii about the latest.