Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell). (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)
With no new state budget in sight, a key Senate committee approved a bill Monday evening authorizing new spending in select areas across state government after June 30.
Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), a chief budget writer, said the rewrite of House Bill 125 is not a “mini-budget,” but is a “needs to” bill intended to accomplish goals such as keeping capital projects going and covering increased community college enrollment.
The House and Senate passed different GOP-written budget proposals this session and have been unable to bridge their significant differences. With the state fiscal year ending June 30, legislators plan to begin a long break from General Assembly work at the end of the week and allow the state head into the next fiscal year without a new comprehensive budget.
State law allows spending to continue at current levels even without a new budget, so government will continue running when the next budget year begins July 1. The bill the Senate budget committee approved Monday afternoon includes money for new items for the next two years.
“We have had conversations with House leadership” about the bill, Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) told reporters Monday night.
The bill will go to the House after the Senate passes it. Berger said that Thursday will likely be the last day of work before legislators take their break.
One of the biggest chunks of money in the bill is $252 million in economic development funds for the JetZero project in Guilford County. The start-up plane manufacturer announced earlier this month that it will invest $4.7 billion in a Piedmont Triad International Airport facility and create 14,560 jobs by 2063.
The bill provides $30 million for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot to continue for another year. The state Department of Health and Human Services has been pushing hard to have this project continue past June 30. DHHS launched Healthy Opportunities in three mostly rural regions of the state in 2022. It aims to lower health care costs and improve the health of Medicaid enrollees by helping them secure food, transportation, and housing, and help those experiencing interpersonal violence.
The bill funds enrollment growth at K-12 public schools and the UNC system, as well for community colleges.
The bill includes $700,000 for the Environmental Management Commission to hire its own staff.
State Auditor Dave Boliek would receive $6 million a year for two years to pay for 45 positions in the new Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency. The division would recommend cuts to government offices or jobs, NC Newsline reported.
The bill would allow spending of $4.1 million over two years to hire a total of 61 driver’s license examiners at the DMV.
In the appropriations committee, Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) noted the current 68% job vacancy rate at the DMV and questioned whether the problem is not having enough positions.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-New Hanover), said he’s been in touch with Paul Tine, the new DMV commissioner.
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t have all the answers on how to fix the DMV,” said Lee, a budget committee chairman. “I don’t know if anyone does. The request was for additional positions, so that’s what this does.”
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