Senator Gene McLaurin
♦Last week, I voted against the NC Senate budget for a number of reasons that I wish to share with you. The Senate Budget, SB 402, released just days ago creates real problems for hard-working families, rural communities, the elderly, students, young children, parents, and women. This budget cuts services for middle and lower income folks. On Wednesday, my colleagues and I proposed several amendments to make this budget better for our state. My amendment was aimed at correcting the move of the SBI from the Department of Justice to the Department of Public Safety for mere political reasons. After hearing from sheriffs, police chiefs, and district attorneys, I heard many reasons why this move would be a wrong turn for our state. I believe the public deserves to have confidence in knowing the SBI is independent of politics. The SBI has a proven track record of helping district attorneys prosecute and convict violent criminals, corrupt elected officials, corrupt law enforcement officers, and others who have betrayed the public trust. The Department of Justice has been instilled with the great responsibility of watching over the SBI, and I see no reason to move the SBI to another agency. Governor McCrory even agreed with me, and spoke out this past week against the proposal. Using a clever procedural move, Senate leaders moved to table my amendment, not bringing it to a vote.
I voted against Senate Bill 402 – the first state budget proposal to come before us this session. I have heard from many people – from all walks of life – throughout our district. The more I read, the more emails and calls I received, the more I realized that this budget fails to meet the needs of rural North Carolinians. I have included a list below of line items that failed to address the needs of our district and our state:
- Moves 40% of lottery funds dedicated to school construction to the General Fund, breaking a promise the legislature made years ago to never supplant education funding using lottery funds.
- Takes critically needed economic development funding from the NC Rural Economic Development Center and Golden LEAF to the General Fund, permanently cutting millions in much needed rural economic development dollars.
- Cuts Smart Start by 40% or more by making unwarranted administrative cuts.
- Provided no pay raise or step increase for State employees, teachers, and highway patrol officers.
- Potentially cuts over 4,000 classroom teachers and 4,500 Teacher Assistants.
- Continues phase out of the Teaching Fellows Program and the NC Center for Advancement of Teaching
- Cuts the 12% salary supplement for teachers with Master’s degrees
- Increases Tuition at our Community Colleges by cutting their funding formula at a time when we are depending on these 58 community colleges across the state to provide workforce development, reskill and retrain workers, educate transfer students, nurses, brick masons, mechanics, and more.
- Cuts UNC Need-Based grants
- Eliminates the Secondary Roads program in the Highway Trust Fund and transfers funds to the Strategic Prioritization Program for congested, urban areas.
- This budget closes correctional facilities in 7 counties, 1 Youth Development Center, and even closes the Richmond Detention Center as well as one other – resulting in a loss of over 70 jobs.
- Cuts the Clean Water State Revolving Fund of by about $5 million in both fiscal years
- Cuts Wildlife Resources Commission by 49% — ($9M) both years
- Cuts Court Reporters by half of the workforce
I went to Raleigh to stand up for your interests and to vote my convictions. I could not support a state budget that hurts rural communities, moves us backwards in education, and makes state government less accountable to its citizens. The Senate approved budget now goes to the NC House of Representatives where they will debate and deliberate on it for the next several weeks. A joint budget will then likely be negotiated and voted on by June 30. I sincerely hope that enough changes are made that I can support the budget as we try to move our state forward.
As always, please feel free to email me at Gene.mclaurin@ncleg.net or send a letter to 1118 Legislative Building, Raleigh, NC 27601. Of course, you can also reach me or my Legislative Assistant, Katie Stanley in my Raleigh office at 919-733-5953. If you would like to stay engaged, please visit the NC General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net . You can listen to the audio of the Senate Chamber, find resources for school-aged children, read the current day’s bills, and more.
