Budget

Senators voted Monday night for the measure that directs $31.4 billion in spending for the next fiscal year that starts July 1. But the House plan would spend $31.7 billion and offers additional teacher and state employee pay raises.

Wake County commissioners have unanimously passed a $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year. It increases spending on public schools by $58 million.

The school board has requested a $27.4 million increase in local school funding, up nearly 15 percent from last year, to raise pay for teachers and staff. The Durham county manager's budget proposal includes a 3.25 cent property tax rate increase and falls about $14 million short of what the school board is asking.

One of North Carolina's fastest-growing counties could get rid of school librarians, due to budget issues.

With the expansion of Medicaid next month, North Carolina is getting a big check from the federal government. State lawmakers plan to spend more than a billion dollars on mental healthcare, training doctors and nurses — and a few projects that don’t relate to health.

Six towns in Dare County have filed a lawsuit to block part of the state budget bill that bans them from regulating a new state-funded affordable housing project led by political donors.

North Carolina’s legislature is now exempt from the public records law that governs other branches of government. The change comes alongside a major expansion of the legislature’s ability to seize documents from state agencies and private contracts.

North Carolina’s new state budget will become law next week, and several provisions would give the legislature more authority over community colleges and the court system.

Despite the All-Star race being a non-points exhibition race, it does satisfy the budget requirement, Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) told the Associated Press.

The recently approved state budget includes about $2 billion to improve water and sewer systems. The money will help about 200 mostly rural counties and towns across North Carolina.