The Raleigh Report
From the Office of Representative William Brisson
April 14, 2011
Budget writers in the House of Representatives presented a plan this week that will devastate North Carolina. While I am sure there are some positive pieces of the budget, its overall effect will devastate the state and at this point I am fighting along with many of my colleagues to make this a better plan.
This budget will result in the estimated loss of 21,000 jobs in K-12 education and more than 6,700 identified state employee positions, although certainly many more may come about as a result of this plan. At the same time, it shifts more costs to residents through increased court fees and fees for driver’s education, among other devices.
This is a bad plan. I am including some specific details about it below.
Gov. Perdue stood up for teachers, state employees and education this week by vetoing two bad pieces of legislation and I have provided you with some information about those bills.
Budget
The state budget plan came out this week in six parts. I am including a synopsis of each of those individual budget plans.
Education
_ The North Carolina Association of Educators estimates this plan will result in the loss of 21,000 K-12 employees
_ The University of North Carolina system gets a 15.5 percent cut (estimated 3,200 jobs, 240,000 class seats lost)
_ Cuts $1.25 billion overall
_ $347 million in discretionary cuts from school systems (7,000 teachers)
_ Cuts $60 million for support positions (2,380 jobs)
_ Eliminates teacher assistants for Grades 2 and 3 (8,000 jobs)
_ More at Four reduced $30 million
_ Community college tuition will increase $10/credit hour in year 1, $12.50 in year 2
_ New $75 fee for driver’s education
Health and Human Services
_ Eliminates 372 jobs
_ The $336 million cut to Medicaid balloons to a loss of $1 billion when the federal 2:1 match is added.
_ Eliminates $67 million for mental health services
_ Eliminates $38 million in Smart Start spending (20 percent)
_ Reduces the Home and Community Care Block Grant by $4.2 million
_ Reduces NC Reach Scholarship Funds by $1.6 million (50 percent)
_ Senior Center funding cut nearly in half ($660,000)
_ Eliminates funding for NC Care Line, a crisis line for all HHS services ($380,000)
Justice and Public Safety
_ Eliminates 1,786 jobs
_ Closes four prisons
_ Cuts Youth Development Center funding ($3 million)
_ Reduces District Attorney support staff ($4 million)
_ Increases court fees ($57 million)
Transportation
_ Cuts more than 500 positions overall
_ Cuts 126 jobs from State Highway Patrol
_ Slashes $3.8 million for transit
_ Eliminates assistance from Mobility Fund
_ Special provision that mirrors bill to block federal rail money
_ Tolls all ferries
Natural and Economic Resources
_ Eliminates 400 jobs
_ Cuts overall budget by 25 percent in the first year of the biennium, 34 percent in second year ($121 million; $161 million)
_ Cuts Rural Center Funding by about $3.4 million (15 percent)
_ Cuts Department of Environment and Natural Resources $22 million (12 percent)
_ Minority Economic Development cut $378,000 (25 percent)
_ Land Loss Prevention cut $179,000 (25 percent)
_ NC Association of Community Development Corporations cut $245,000 (25 percent)
_ NC Community Development Initiative cut $1.17 million (25 percent)
General Government
_ Eliminates 485 jobs
_ Closes one of four regional offices for Council for Women ($102,000)
_ Eliminates funding for NC Humanities Council ($93,000)
_ Cuts Lieutenant Governor’s staff in half (6 positions) ($377,200)
_ Eliminates 13 positions in Governor’s office ($949,000)
Vetoes
_ Gov. Perdue vetoed a bill (S265) that would have excessively raised the premiums and co-payments for teachers, state employees and retirees. I voted against the bill when it came through the House because it would raise health costs by an average of $1,800 a person.
In closing, the tragedy of this past weekend has affected each one of us either through our personal lives or that of a neighbor or a love one. Our great county as well as our state will take a long time to recover from this devastating tragedy. I have been staying in touch with our County Manager, Bladen County Enrichment Manager, Emergency Management and Sheriff’s Department on how I can assist on helping our district. I want to thank all departments for the quick response and reaction to the devastation of Bladen County.
Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net. Once on the site, select "Audio," and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.