North Carolina Republicans prevailed Wednesday as they overrode the governor’s veto of the state budget.
The House and Senate, both GOP-controlled for the first time in a century, each voted to bypass Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s budget she says cuts too much from education and other public services.
According to the governor’s office, Perdue’s proposed budget would have invested approximately $561 million more in public education than the newly approved budget — $236.1 million more in public universities, $68.9 million in community colleges and $256.7 million in K-12.
Republican leaders claimed the governor’s office is not being honest in its assessment of budget differences.
“Despite the governor’s frantic media campaign, apocalyptic rhetoric, and creative accounting, the facts are clear: our $19.7 billion budget will do more for public classrooms and help the economy create more jobs than her own proposal,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger in a statement after the Senate voted to override the budget.
Perdue was the first governor in North Carolina’s history to veto a budget. Berger saw political motive in her move.
“On this historic day, the will of the voters and the representatives they elected prevailed over the governor’s desperate attempts to defend the status quo and appease her liberal political allies,” Berger said in a statement
The Senate’s vote of approval was the last step before the budget, called House Bill 200, becomes law. It will take effect July 1.
Although Perdue no longer has a say in the budget process, the governor said in a statement that Republicans have dealt a severe blow to the state’s education system.
“Tonight, the Republican-controlled legislature turned its back on North Carolina’s long-standing commitment to our people to provide quality schools, community colleges and universities — all to save a penny,” Perdue said.
Perdue vowed to defend education.
“Tonight they may have cut our pre-k programs and turned our education system backwards. But tomorrow, the citizens of North Carolina and I will resume the fight for what we believe in – that education must be the one priority we never turn our backs on,” Perdue said.
Student Body President Chandler Thompson has spent time at the legislature speaking with representatives. Along with UNC-Chapel Hill SBP Mary Cooper, they have been communicating student views, concerns, and opinions.
“We tried to tell them how important education and financial aid is to our students,” Thompson said.
Chancellor Randy Woodson, UNC System President Tom Ross and the Board of Governors have stated they will not suggest an increase in tuition, according to Thompson. She said the chancellor’s realignment plan placed the University ahead of the curve.
“N.C. State has been doing a good job preparing because we knew cuts were going to happen,” Thompson said.
With the budget set to become law, Thompson is organizing a group of 50 N.C. State students with the goal of maintaining a presence at the legislature during the fall.
