House passes budget that gives most tax filers a break

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The North Carolina House has completed work on its budget adjustments for next year by approving the plan again by a wide margin.

"We really felt like it was going to get very strong support," Speaker of the House Rep. Tim Moore (R-District 111) said. The process has been very open. There's been a lot of collaboration. And it's a good budget."

The chamber voted 103-12 on Thursday in favor of the proposal, which alters the second year of the two-year state government spending plan already in place. The $22.2 billion plan was given tentative approval Wednesday by an identical vote.

"During some years we've had to come in and deal with budgets that we kind of felt like we had to just deal with it and make the best we could," Rep. Moore said. "This year we had the opportunity to fund some of those critical needs, to do some targeted tax cuts and at the same time to do it in a way that I think a lot of people bought into because they liked the process, they liked the collaboration. They liked the transparency."

The measure next goes to the Senate, where Republicans will have their own ideas, particularly on taxes and employee pay.

SEE THE FULL TEXT OF THE BUDGET HERE (.PDF)

The House plan raises teacher salaries by 4.1 percent on average and gives most state workers at 2 percent pay increase. Standard deductions for income taxes also are raised over a four-year period.

House and Senate negotiators want to get a final plan to Gov. Pat McCrory's desk before July 1.