Speaker Hall ‘optimistic’ as House budget heads to floor
The North Carolina House of Representatives is set to vote on its 2025-2027 budget proposal on Wednesday, just two days after the bill was introduced, and leaders are still “cautiously optimistic” that a final deal could be made this summer.
“To sum up what this budget is about on the House side, we continue to give that tax relief while also making sure we’re investing in this state’s most important asset, which we believe are its people,” said Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, during a press conference. “I’m hopeful, and frankly, optimistic, that we’ll be able to get a budget done this summer… And it’s possible still that we’ll get it done in June. I know that’s my goal at the end of the day.”
Tuesday was full of budget buzz around the North Carolina General Assembly as House Republicans work to pass their budget proposal this week. The budget made its way through House Committees on Rules, Finance, and Appropriations on Tuesday, and is set to go to the House floor on Wednesday. Then negotiations with the Senate will begin ahead of the new fiscal year on July 1.
I am incredibly proud of our house budget proposal! The 2025 House Budget reflects real leadership, real priorities, and real results for the people of North Carolina! pic.twitter.com/crAvUxNCjI
— Rep. Brenden Jones (@BrendenJonesNC) May 20, 2025
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“We’re better than the governor’s budget or the Senate on state employee raises, and so I imagine that many state employees themselves are happy with that part,” said Hall. “Many of the jobs that are being cut have been unfilled now for a long time, months and maybe even years in some circumstances. These are positions that almost all of them are unfilled positions, and there’s nothing to stop us from coming back later and adding those positions again.”
The budget includes a directive for state agencies to cut 20% of their long-term vacant positions. There are currently over 10,000 vacant positions in the North Carolina state government. Rather than eliminating these positions as a cost-saving measure, lawmakers reallocated the funds back to the agencies in the form of flexible dollars.
“We tried to look at 20% of the vacancies and how much money was attached to those 20% and then take that pot of money and not bank it or save it or anything,” explained Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth. “We simply took that value of those 20% and we gave it back to each agency, and that’s where you see on the salary schedule that each agency will have money in their flexibility account to spend for difficult-to-fill jobs.”
SEE ALSO: House unveils new NC budget. Here’s what’s inside:
House Minority Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, said the House budget proposal “gets us closer to what Gov. Stein proposed on teacher pay and addressing our state’s fiscal cliff,” while also saying there were downsides, such as cuts to public safety and clean air and water efforts.
Reives also criticized Republicans for continuing to fund Opportunity Scholarships, arguing that the money is being diverted from public schools. He said Democrats plan to propose amendments to address the issue.
— Statement on House Budget Proposal —
The House Budget proposal gets us closer to what Governor Stein proposed on teacher pay and addressing our state’s fiscal cliff.
— Leader Reives (@LeaderReives) May 20, 2025
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To see the latest legislative update on the budget, click here.
“Speaker Hall ‘optimistic’ as House budget heads to floor” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.
