House and Senate Release Budget, Votes Expected In Coming Days

    After announcing a framework had been agreed to in May, House and Senate leaders have released the full text of the budget, which can be read here.

    The committee report can be read here.

    Votes are expected in the coming days.

    Some of the highlights: 

    Tax Relief

    • Personal income tax rate scheduled to reach 3.49%
    • Revenue triggers that could ultimately lead to a personal income tax rate as low as 2.49%

    Teacher Pay Raises

    • Average 8% raise for teachers
    • Makes North Carolina the #1 state in the region for starting teacher pay
    • Largest raise since 2006

    State Employees and Law Enforcement

    • 3% raise across the board for all state employees

    Health

    • Provides over $1 billion to the state’s Medicaid program
    • $200 million from the Medicaid Contingency Reserve to meet funding needs for Medicaid rebase
    • Increases oversight of Medicaid program to prevent waste and abuse

    Rainy Day Fund and Disaster Recovery

    • Boosts the Rainy Day Fund to $4.2 billion
    • More than $700 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts

    Public Safety

    • 20.3% average raise for ALE and SBI agents
    • 17.7% average raise for State Highway Patrol officers
    • $30 million in school safety grants
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