No NC Senate budget veto override vote yet, but teachers could still get bigger raises
Whether the Senate overrides the governor’s state budget veto or not, North Carolina teachers will likely get bigger raises than they thought.
The override vote was on Monday night’s Senate session calendar, but Rules Chair Bill Rabon moved it to Tuesday’s Senate floor calendar. No time was given.
The state budget calls for 3.8% teacher raises over the next two years. Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters on Monday that regardless of whether the governor’s veto is overridden, Republicans will roll out a mini budget calling for raises for teachers that increase that amount. The House voted to override the governor’s veto on Sept. 11.
Democrats will get a say in how much of an additional raise teachers will get if they drop what Republican leaders have described as a Medicaid expansion or nothing ultimatum, Berger said.
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the budget this past summer over its lack of Medicaid expansion among other things, including the amount of raises for teachers. The fiscal year started July 1, and the budget stalemate has dragged on for four months.
“It’s my hope Democrats will drop their Medicaid ultimatum — if they do, the budget teacher pay figure and other provisions will reflect their additional input. If they do not, the House and Senate will agree to a teacher pay raise figure. That figure will be higher than what was in the original budget. If Democrats refuse to support a compromise for the budget, they will not be part of that process,” Berger said Monday.
Teacher raises
Cooper’s proposed budget compromise for teacher raises is an average of 8.5% over the next two years.
Mini budgets can be rolled out as bill substitutes with a set amount of funding that Democrats can vote up or down on without changes. The House and Senate are both majority Republican, so they can pass the bills assuming they have the votes, then Cooper can approve or veto them.
The Republicans do not have the supermajorities in each chamber that are required to override a veto. The House overrode the budget veto with almost half of its members absent, because Democrats thought the session that morning would not be a voting session. The move received national attention and a video went viral of Rep. Deb Butler, a Wilmington Democrat, shouting “How dare you Mr. Speaker” at Speaker Tim Moore for calling the vote at that time.
On Friday when the potential override vote was announced, Democratic senators posted on social media that they are “21 Strong,” meaning the Democrats would sustain Cooper’s veto when the vote is called. Democrats received notice that the veto might be considered at Monday night’s session, but there’s a chance the vote will not be called, and they’ll be notified again at least 24 hours in advance if it is placed on the calendar again for another day.
Once a veto is overridden, a motion for reconsideration may be proposed by the majority party in the Senate.
After the House override, Rep. Darren Jackson, a Wake County Democrat, asked Rep. David Lewis, a Harnett County Republican and Rules chair, to propose a motion for reconsideration. Lewis declined. Cooper described the override move as unethical.
Principal raises and teacher pay step increases came out last week in a separate mini budget bill.
Berger said the Senate will also take up another veto from the governor this week — the mini budget that funded Medicaid transformation — before it adjourns Oct. 31.
Democratic response
Democratic Minority Leader Dan Blue issued a statement responding to Berger and the lack of a veto vote on Monday night.
“Earlier today, Senator Berger called on Democrats in the chamber to, ‘stand up and decide what they’re for and what they’re against when it comes to a state budget.’ We stand for a budget that puts teachers and classrooms ahead of corporate tax cuts. We stand for a budget that addresses threats to clean water, and access to affordable health care,” he said.
“We stand ready to compromise on all of these issues – no ultimatums have been issued from our caucus,” Blue said. “Tonight’s decision to delay the proposed veto override tells us that Republicans know the Governor’s veto will be sustained. They need to take our proposals seriously.”
“It’s time for Senator Berger and his Republican colleagues to stop passing the buck and work with us to pass a compromise budget that addresses the state’s pressing needs,” Blue said.
The Senate’s 11 a.m. Tuesday session will be a voting session.
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This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 5:38 PM.
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