From The Office of Representative Angela Bryant

ALERT REGARDING PROPOSED NC BUDGET PLAN

Budget writers in the House of Representatives presented a plan this past 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.

Budget - The state budget plan came out this week in six parts. I am including a synopsis of each of those individual budget plans.

Fees

• Imposes 27 new fees, imposing a total tax increase of $100.5 million;
• Increases several court fees, limiting access to courts for the poor ($57 million);
  
• New $75 fee for driver’s education;
  
• Tolls all ferries.
  

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.
  

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).
  

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.
  

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.

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