By Emily Thomas for EDNC
Two weeks ago, the General Assembly successfully overrode the governor’s veto of the mini budget. Among other things, the mini budget allocates $64 million for enrollment growth and $12.7 million in receipts for community colleges across the state.
The enrollment growth funding comes at a time when some colleges were facing large budget deficits for the fiscal year, impacting planning for the spring semester.
N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) President Dr. Jeff Cox said the funding is “a crucial investment in the future of North Carolina.”
The North Carolina General Assembly also passed a wide-ranging omnibus bill on Nov. 19 “that transfers an additional $227 million to the state’s Hurricane Helene Fund, allocates $33.75 million in child care stabilization grants, and includes various regulatory changes that impact the power of several incoming Democratic elected officials.”
The bill does not include additional Helene relief money for community colleges, but does amend previously awarded grants to two community colleges, transfers up to $1 million to the NCCCS to “conduct a digital credential pilot program with a digital credential provider,” and expands the Career and College Ready Graduate program. The bill includes several other postsecondary items.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill on Nov. 26, saying the legislation “was titled disaster relief but instead violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor for the Board of Elections, Utilities Commission and Commander of the NC Highway Patrol, letting political parties choose appellate judges and interfering with the Attorney General’s ability to advocate for lower electric bills for consumers.”
The Senate overrode the governor’s veto on Monday. At this point, a vote on the veto is not yet scheduled for the House. Stay tuned.
The preceding article originally appeared on December 2, 2024 at EDNC’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition.
