NC Budget Passed After 1000 Days | Durham News

After a grueling 1,000-day standoff, North Carolina lawmakers finally passed a two-year budget headed to Governor Josh Stein’s desk — a landmark deal that delivers teacher pay hikes, law enforcement raises, and major infrastructure investments, while navigating contentious tax debates and inflation pressures. The compromise includes a phased reduction of the state’s income tax over ten years, new sports betting revenue streams, and potential local education sales taxes. Teachers get an average 8% raise, state workers a 3% bump plus bonus, and the budget allocates billions for disaster recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, fully funds Medicaid, and boosts SNAP and summer food programs. Nearly half the budget goes to education, with new grants for school safety and literacy — but critics say raises still fall short amid prolonged pay freezes. Now, Stein must decide: sign, veto, or let it become law. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/077d8e17a5fe7f8f