DURHAM, N.C. — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's budget proposal would increase North Carolina state government spending by $1.1 billion next year while giving teachers and state employee raises, reducing waiting lists for pre-kindergarten programs and expanding Medicaid.
Cooper released his two-year plan Wednesday. It would increase spending by more than 5 percent compared to the current budget on the books and approved by Republican lawmakers.
The bulk of his budget focuses on education in the state.
"We have to make education a priority," Cooper said. "I'm setting an ambitious goal to make North Carolina a top 10 educated state by the year 2025."
To achieve that goal, Cooper wants to propose the NC Grow Scholarship that covers tuition and fees for recent high school graduates to attend community college. He wants to raise teacher pay during the next two school years with an average five percent increase. Cooper also wants to recruit teachers with the Best and Brightest Scholarship: $10,000 per year for four-year students who make a commitment to teach at a North Carolina public school after they graduate.
"What greater priority could we have than one that says we're going to train and educate our students who will become our labor force," said Yevonne Brannon, with Public Schools First NC.
But Senate majority leader Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, called the budget proposal reckless.
"We believe a more prudent approach is investing generously in public education and other priorities, while still saving for a rainy day and returning hard earned tax dollars to our taxpayers," Berger said in a statement.
Most state employees next year would get raises equal to 2 percent or $800, whichever is greater.
The governor wants to reinstate a tax credit for child and dependent care expenses that GOP legislators eliminated. And Cooper wants to revive a tax credit for film and TV productions.
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