Gov. Cooper criticizes budget during Charlotte trip

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper again criticized a compromise budget plan during a tour of Central Piedmont Community College Wednesday. The classroom setting made a fitting backdrop for one of the governor's biggest gripes about the plan.

"We are not going to get where we want to be with teacher salaries," Cooper said.

The compromise budget does raise teacher salaries an average of 3.3 percent, but it is lower than what Cooper wanted. He argued the plan shortchanges teacher and rewards the wealthy.

"What you're doing is you're sacrificing our future with these tax giveaways for the wealthy, instead of investing in education and economic development," he said.

The House adopted the compromise budget on Wednesday afternoon. The Senate could vote late Wednesday to give final approval.

A handful of Senate Democrats, including state Sen. Joel Ford, of Charlotte, are in favor of the budget.

"My interpretation is that it does provide tax relief for those who are in the middle class, and it does provide tax relief for those who are making $100,000 or more," Ford said.

He pointed to the fact it includes teacher raises, as well as money for state retirees and employees.

"We could always do more for education,” Ford said. “We could always do more for our retirees, but at the end, I had to make the best decision for the constituents in which I serve."

Cox Media Group