NC Budget

The top Democrat in the state House, Rep. Robert Reives, says he's frustrated with GOP lawmakers' inability to pass a budget or even a stopgap spending bill this year.

State lawmakers plan to wrap up their session this week without a full budget agreement. That impasse prompted the state Senate and House to propose scaled-back spending bills — but so far they can't even agree on the details of that.

UNC and Duke's health systems are partnering on North Carolina's first standalone children's hospital. Republican leaders said it will be exempt from Certificate of Need.

N.C. Senate leaders are proposing a $32.6 billion budget that includes small raises and bonuses for teachers and state employees, while cutting programs and vacant positions across state government — all as they expand controversial scheduled income tax cuts.

If the Senate budget is approved as written, the state's total funding allocated to Helene would top $2 billion.

State Senate Republicans plan to release their budget bill on Monday. Leaders in the House and Senate have already agreed on how much to spend, and it's expected to be a tight budget year.

State Budget Director Kristin Walker’s team of economists have run the numbers of various revenue scenarios – and she says all of them lead to a “fiscal cliff" where the state sees a major budget shortfall in the coming years.

Hundreds of advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities visited the North Carolina legislature this week to lobby lawmakers to provide more funding for a program that has a years-long waiting list.

Rep. Erin Paré, a co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, has filed legislation to increase starting teacher pay to $50,000.

The state House voted Wednesday to move about 100 jobs away from state agencies overseen by Gov. Josh Stein's administration.