Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue gave the Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature a glimpse of her budget proposal Monday in her State of the State address.
Addressing the first Republican-controlled legislature in more than a century, Perdue proposed a spending plan $2.2 billion smaller than the 2009 budget. Despite the financial cuts, Perdue plans to reduce the corporate income tax, improve education, protect teacher positions, promote job creation and rework state government.
“[The budget] spends 11 percent less per capita and sheds thousands of state positions,” she said in her speech Monday. “Never before in history has North Carolina better lived the phrase ‘doing more with less.’”
Specific details on how Perdue would pay for her proposals, particularly in light of a shortfall Perdue now projects to be $2.4 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, will be included in her formal budget proposal expected Thursday.
Although improving the state’s services will be difficult with the reduced budget, Perdue said this can nonetheless be achieved by making government more efficient and “more capable of serving the 9.5 million people who call North Carolina home.” In her speech, Perdue outlined plans to help reduce the budget gap including reorganize government by merging 14 offices and departments into eight. In addition to cutting jobs, Perdue proposed an early retirement package with the potential to eliminate additional positions.
“I have made deep and painful cuts,” Perdue said. “I will listen to any suggestion for cutting waste, finding savings and stretching our limited resources.”
As Perdue described her proposed budget cuts, she promised to protect teacher and teacher-assistant jobs and noted that she wants to live up to a 2008 campaign pledge to give high school students who earn good grades a tuition-free two-year college degree.
Still, Republicans have been pushing for more significant cuts. The governor briefly acknowledged the divide between her vision and the vision of the GOP, but said she would not back down from the plans she believes are right for the state because of “partisan politics.”
“Tonight, you have heard me talk about what makes North Carolina great,” she said in her speech Monday. “You have heard me talk about our capacity to change, our toughness in the face of adversity, our relentless ability to reinvent ourselves and keep on going. You have heard me praise the leaders that came before us.... And you heard me talk about my priorities of creating jobs, educating our children, and transforming state government. Hear me now: I will not back down from these priorities.”
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