Raleigh, NC — Today, North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall’s Office responded to Governor Josh Stein’s latest budget requests.
Demi Dowdy, a spokeswoman for Speaker Hall, said, “Governor Stein’s budget proposal raises serious concerns.
His healthcare plan refuses to include basic cost controls and guardrails to protect taxpayer dollars. Instead, he proposes directing funds toward high-cost initiatives, like GLP-1 drugs, and programs with a history of fraud and abuse.
The House has committed to making necessary investments in healthcare, but it must be done in a way that ensures transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds.
Furthermore, the Governor’s proposed raises for teachers and law enforcement are less than those already passed by the House. These critical investments cannot wait, and we urge the Senate to join us in passing these raises for all our state employees.”
The North Carolina House has already passed raises higher or equal to the Governor’s proposals, including:
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An average 8.7% pay raise for teachers, compared to Gov. Stein’s proposed 6%.
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An average 13% raise for law enforcement officers plus additional bonuses, exceeding the Governor’s proposed 10%.
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A 2.5% raise for state employees, matching the level proposed by the Governor.
According to Gov. Stein’s own administration, the General Assembly has funded the state’s Medicaid rebase through at least April. Speaker Hall has publicly committed to ensuring that additional Medicaid funding is provided if necessary to maintain access to care for North Carolinians.
The House will continue its work to address these needs when they return for the short session this spring.