It’s been 22 days since Governor Cooper and Democratic legislators sent a compromise budget offer to Republican legislators. And for 22 days, Republican legislators have refused to make a counteroffer, instead doing anything possible to avoid negotiating.
Republican leaders have tried buying votes, threatening local funding for communities and misleading North Carolinians about the reasons for the Governor’s veto. The fact is that the Republican budget fails on a number of fronts, all of which should be on the table in negotiations.
Gov. Cooper’s compromise offer can be found HERE. It would close the health care coverage gap, raise teacher pay, cut taxes for people and guarantee school construction while balancing the budget and saving money in the Rainy Day Fund. Governor Cooper and legislative Democrats have shown they are willing to compromise, but Republicans must make a counteroffer.
Where is the Republican Counteroffer?
Legislative Republicans want North Carolinians to believe that this budget impasse is only about Medicaid expansion. In an editorial this morning, WRAL breaks down why that’s not true:
“Cooper didn’t veto the budget over some partisan or regional feud. He vetoed the bill because it fails – as have the budgets the legislature’s passed much of the last decade – to meet the most basic needs. The budget falls far short of providing a quality education for North Carolina’s school children; short-changes our public universities and community colleges; leaves the state’s environment and public spaces under-funded, fails to provide for the proper staffing and safety of our prisons and continues to jeopardize the health of more than a half-million citizens by not expanding Medicaid.”
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“It is past time for legislative leaders to end their public relations spinning, stalling and desperation to override Cooper’s budget veto.
The governor earlier this month made a sincere counter offer on the budget. It is Berger and the other legislative leaders who declare anything from Cooper as dead upon arrival, refuse to negotiate and spend their time churning out news releases.”
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