For teachers and state employees, it's payback time.
Perdue's budget proposal would not give teachers or state employees a raise but would give them a onetime bonus of one-half of 1 percent of their salary to compensate for the pay cut last year, which was imposed in the form of a 10-hour furlough.
Teachers also would receive their longevity-based pay increases.
Perdue also proposed giving teachers and state workers four more paid days off. Her budget encourages them to take one of those days Dec. 23, effectively shutting down government for an extra day during the Christmas holiday.
Spokeswoman Toni Davis of the State Employees Association of North Carolina said the group appreciates Perdue's payback and the extra vacation time.
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The barely 2-week-old campaign for governor has gotten off to a raucous start, with a lawsuit, threats of “evisceration” and the two national parties wading in playing hard ball. 
70-year-old State Rep. Larry Womble, D-Winston-Salem, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of death by vehicle, according to the state attorney general’s office. The accident happened in December. 
Media sets up “Camp Edwards,” the defendant takes in another baseball game and the wait enters one week for a jury verdict in the trial of the former presidential candidate. 
The total budget, including the total the state House proposes to spend next year, is not available, but House members pushed major pieces through committees Thursday. The house budget doesn’t anticipate any fee increases, and the state courts would escape major reductions while federal election grants would be unfrozen. 
A campaign commercial funded by the Democratic Governors Association includes facts about Pat McCrory’s corporate ties but may lead viewers to distorted conclusions. 
Most modern U.S. presidents have played golf, but it's touchy, since many people view it as an expensive, elite sport. President Barack Obama plays golf a lot, but he won't let the news media see him do it. Keep up with the latest political stories with our free daily e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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