Why I Voted Against the House Budget
At a time when North Carolina is just crawling out of a recession, Republicans turned down a whole set of good ideas that would put North Carolinians to work.
During last night’s budget debate, the Republican Speaker ruled a series of Democratic amendments “Out of Order.” It is the Republican priorities that are Out of Order.
- Democrats proposed a teacher and state employee pay raise of 4.5% beyond what the Republicans proposed. Out of Order.
- Democrats proposed funding that would have helped provide last-mile broadband access for rural areas. Out of Order.
- Democrats proposed reinstating a small business tax credit that Republicans repealed last year. Out of Order.
- Democrats proposed a Megasite economic development fund to draw a major manufacturing plant to one of our rural areas. Out of Order.
- Democrats proposed expanding Medicaid to thousands of North Carolinians, providing both health care and jobs. Out of Order.
Republicans are so beholden to anti-government corporate special interests that they refused to let us debate their plans to further cut the corporate tax rate. Choosing corporations over people is Out of Order.
Please help me put the Republicans Out of Order.
Democrats will continue to stand up for teachers, rural areas, small businesses, and universal health care.
[Listen to my floor comments about the budget at the top of this page.]