State employees, teachers would get pay raises under proposed state budget

RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) - Legislative Republicans rolled out their proposed new state budget Tuesday, calling for pay raises for state employees and a small new pay bump for teachers.

WRAL reports that House and Senate leaders have been hashing out this budget behind closed doors for weeks. Lawmakers discussed the basics of the plan at a 5:30 p.m. news conference.

Under the proposal, most state employees would get 3.5% raises in the coming fiscal year instead of the 2.5% they were slated to receive.

The proposal also calls for a 1% boost in teacher salaries for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. That’s on top of the 2.5% increase for teachers already built into the budget for teachers.

Including annual step increases, the average teacher raise would work out to about 4.2%, according to budget documents.

This budget, worked out by the GOP majorities in the House and Senate, is expected to pass both chambers in the coming days. It’s unclear whether Cooper will sign it into law, or veto it, and his office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

“I think it’s going to be a fight,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said.