In July the legislature passed House Bill 125, to fund several key government services, while negotiations remain ongoing for a full budget. When the legislature reconvened earlier this week they passed a second “mini budget,” House Bill 358. It passed unanimously in the Senate and with only four Democrats in opposition in the House.

Some of the key provisions in House Bill 358:

• $65.5 million for disaster relief and recovery from Tropical Storm Chantal
• Extends the window for Wilson Community College to use $10 million for its biologics training center to June 30, 2027
• $2.8 million recurring for tuition grants for graduates from the NC School of Science and Mathematics and the UNC School of the Arts
• $51 million for construction of a dock and road at a major business site in Hertford County 
• Funding for three new Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS) and two other schools approved in 2024

The forward thinking, conservative leadership by the NC House has enabled many key government services to remain funded through their responsible savings and tax policies.