CHARLOTTE — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein proposed a $1.4 billion “critical needs” budget on Friday, aimed at providing raises for public safety workers and expanding mental health resources.
The announcement comes as North Carolina remains the only state in the country currently operating without a state budget.
The proposal includes $211 million specifically for the public safety sector to address staffing shortages and low wages. Stein’s plan arrives amid a two-year budget stalemate that has left the state without a new spending plan since 2022.
Stein spoke to civic leaders in Charlotte to discuss the impact of the ongoing budget delay on state employees. During his remarks, he highlighted that North Carolina currently ranks 49th in the nation for starting pay for both state troopers and correctional officers.
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“When it comes to public safety, we’re ranked 49th in the country in starting Trooper pay and in correctional office, Officer pay. It’s an embarrassment,” Stein said. “We’re not a poor state, but in many ways we act like we are.”
The $1.4 billion proposal allocates specific raises across multiple departments within the public safety and health sectors. Correctional officers, law enforcement officers, and youth counselors would receive a 10% raise under the plan.
Juvenile court counselors, probation officers, and parole officers would see a 6.5% increase. The plan also provides a 10% raise for nurses and behavioral health technicians working in state-run facilities.
The governor linked the budget needs to recent violence, specifically the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska. The suspect in that case, DeCarlos Brown, has a documented history of mental health issues and a lengthy criminal record. Stein stated that the state must improve its ability to intervene and provide treatment before criminal acts occur.
“What we want to do is, before anybody has any criminal act, but they’re at risk of causing harm to themselves or someone else, to know where to take that person and for that person that place to be open,” Stein said. “24/7, that you don’t have to wait for a bed to open up weeks down the road.”
Political disagreements have prevented a budget agreement for more than two years. Republican lawmakers are currently split over whether to continue cutting state income tax rates.
While the House prefers to slow down the scheduled cuts, the Senate intends to maintain the current pace. Legislators are also debating the appropriate funding level for a new children’s hospital in Wake County.
Senate Leader Phil Berger and other Republican leaders have indicated they are not interested in the governor’s short-term proposal.
A spokesperson for Berger argued that the plan would lead to a recurring budget deficit. The spokesperson further stated the proposal could force the state to increase taxes on working families.
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