Cooper budget proposal could support teachers, called 'irresponsible' by GOP leader

The governor outlined his new budget proposal Wednesday, but Republican lawmakers are working on their own budget. One GOP leader called Cooper's pitch "an irresponsible, unserious proposal." Gov. Roy Cooper proposed 18% raises Wednesday for public school teachers and principals, saying he wants to take North Carolina to No. 1 in the southeast in teacher pay over the next two years. State employees would get across-the-board raises of 8% over those same two years as part of the budget proposal Cooper announced. Planned corporate income tax cuts, and personal income tax cuts for families making more than $200,000 a year, would be stalled under this proposal. Cooper's proposal would total $34 billion in the first year, about 14.5% more than the $29.7 billion cap leaders in the Republican-controlled General Assembly have already agreed to among themselves. Top legislative leaders quickly declared the governor's proposal dead on arrival, with Speaker of the House Tim Moore saying it takes a "reckless approach to spending" and Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger calling it "an irresponsible, unserious proposal from a lame-duck governor who wants future North Carolinians to pick up his tab." Significant raises for state employees and teachers are still likely under the legislative budget that will emerge and evolve over the next two months, but GOP lawmakers have typically funded raises at lower levels, and Berger and Moore have made it clear they'd prefer to accelerate, not slow, tax cuts, which they credit for the state's strong economy. They also voiced concern after Cooper's state-of-the-state speech last week, in which the governor called for "double-digit" teacher raises, that that sort of spending on teachers might crowd out other budget needs. Cooper wants historic investments. His proposal would fully fund Leandro, the long-running court dispute over how much school funding the state constitution's promise of a strong education requires. It would also represent the largest investment in state government's workforce in 50 years, Cooper's budget office said. The budget also plans for Medicaid to expand, a long-held priority for the governor that may soon be realized. “Once-in-a-generation opportunities require once-in-a-generation investments,” Cooper said at a Wednesday morning briefing. “This budget we’re presenting today meets the moment.” Cooper's proposal includes $1 billion in new mental health spending and $1.5 billion to bolster early child care, two areas where there may be bipartisan agreement that significant new funding is needed. That includes $500 million over two years in grants to boost salaries at state-subsidized day cares and pre-schools, where hiring problems have made it difficult for parents to find childcare. Teachers at all experience levels would get a minimum raise of 10% in the budget’s first year, including step increases. Their average raises of 18% over the entire two-year budget would take North Carolina from 32nd in the nation in teacher pay to 16th in National Education Association rankings, Cooper said. Bus drivers and other noncertified personnel in K-12 schools would get 9.5% raises over those two years. All school employees would also get retention bonuses: $1,500 for those making less than $75,000 a year and $1,000 for those making more. Full story: https://www.wral.com/cooper-calls-for... Subscribe to WRAL: / wral5 Follow WRAL: Facebook:   / wraltv   Twitter:   / wral   IG:   / wral   About WRAL-TV: WRAL is your Raleigh, North Carolina news source. Check out our videos for the latest news in Raleigh, local sports, Raleigh weather, and more at https://WRAL.com #localnews #northcarolina #politics