Alert from the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus: NC State Budget Process and NCLBC Priorities for 2017

by 06/14/2017

The 2017 Biennium State Budget is in Budget Conference for review and approval.

A state budget shows what is important to us and what are priorities are.  Always keep that in mind as you hear and learn about the budget.

Passing a budget takes several steps.

Step #1:  Governor Cooper introduces his budget proposal.
Step #2:  The Senate passes its budget proposal.
Step #3:  The House passes its budget proposal.
Step #4:  House and Senate budget writers meet to negotiate the budget  to develop a Conference Report to be voted on by House and Senate.
Step #5:  The House and Senate agree on a common budget.
Step #6:  The Governor signs the budget or vetoes it.

If he signs, it is law.
Step #7:  If the Governor vetoes, the House and Senate will try to override his veto.
Step #8:  If House and Senate override, their budget is law.  If not, we start over.

 

NCLBC Legislative Priorities for Budget Conference

**- in controversy (differences between House and Senate Budget)
***- still in process
DONE – House and Senate Budget with same provisions so generally would be maintained in conference.

Education

HBCU Funding/Support

  1. **Partially done – Fully fund NC Promise – $51 million/year and the Cheatham White Scholarship at NCCU and NC A&T (House Budget limits NC Promise tuition to resident students only and eliminates reduction for out-of-state students); Support  Senate Position
  2. Done –Elizabeth City – $2.8 million NR – 17-18; $2.1 million NR – 18-19 (faculty for key programs, aviation, student success program);
  3. ***Elizabeth City Capital: Authorization to restructure debt  and use excess proceeds to renovate two dorms; demolish three dorms; develop new campus master plan (provisions included in H620- UNC Capital Bill);  Passed House; Pending in the Senate
  4. **Research Doctoral I Program A&T – $10 million recurring.  Note that every other institution that has attained doctoral status has been given $10 million recurring  for faculty, student support and infrastructure with a focus on STEM education and research. A&T attained Research Doctoral Status in 2005.  And has never received the same increase in funding.  A&T brings in more than $60 million annually in research funding- one of the 3 top research universities in UNC system. Support House Position – $2 mill; Senate – $ 1 mill.
  5. **Winston Salem State University – Operating Building Reserves – WSSU Science and Office Building – $429,191 NR – 18-19 (UNC Budget request) – Support House Position – funded this item.
  6. NOT FUNDED –NCCU – $3.5 million for BRITE Program-equipment and upgrades- biotech program supported by Life Science Caucus/NCBIO etc.; $2 million – Business School Building (Connect bond supplement- Governor’s  budget); FUNDED– $6.5 million (dorm renovations- H620- UNC Capital bill)
  7. **FSU- $5 million for Health and Wellness Facility.  FSU is one of the few campuses across the system without such a facility to attract and retain students, faculty and staff, and improve graduation rates.  Also FSU was one of three universities that did not receive bond money for new construction but only  R&R.  Support House Funded with earmark in R&R Fund; however needs to be moved because it is a new building.
  8. **$3 million Recurring Faculty Recruitment Fund – These funds allow UNC to strategically recruit or retain best/brightest faculty and counter offers made by competitor institutions (UNC Request)– Support House Position – Funded

Pre-K

  • **Support House Position – Funds same number of slots at Governor’s budget – an additional 2300 slots in 2017-18  ($12 mill) and 4700 slots in FY 18-19 ($24 mill) over the current slots.
  • Eastern NC Stem Summer Program (Halifax and Northamption Counties) – Support House Budget; Senate eliminated Program
  • Cooperative and Innovative High Schools – Support House Position – reduces funding by $2.2 million with a revised allocation formula but funds ALL CIHS at $200,000. Previously many CIHS schools did not receive any additional fundsSenate would have redistributed monies from Tier 3 schools to Tier 1 schools not funded and specifically eliminated some schools from funding.

      Economic Development

  • Restore Authorization to use CDBG Funding for Neighborhood Revitalization and Stabilization Purposes (e.g. demolition of dilapidated structures, housing rehab, redevelopment, etc.)-  $10 million (Support Senate Position -$10 mill; House reduced funding to $9.75 million)
  • Appropriate Main Street Solutions Funds – $5 million; Consider targeting funds to economically distressed counties. Support House position – $1 mill NR none of which is earmarked for specific projects. Senate provided $450,000 with $350,000 in earmarks.
  • Funding for NC Arts Council –African American Heritage Commission – Associate Director Position – Support House Position – restores this position; Senate eliminated position as vacant – now filled.
  • Support House Position – does not eliminate The Small and Minority Farm Program from Ag Budget; Senate eliminated the program.

    Equitable Health Care

  • Healthy Food Small Retailers: Corner Store Initiative to assist healthy food retailers (S498) – Dept. of Agriculture to contract with local health departments to disburse grants to retailers for equipment and request to expand allowable expenditures to provide or contract for technical assistance for promotion, procurement of fresh foods, health and safety practices. – $ 500,000- $1 million; Support House Position – $250,000 NR- 17-18 only. Senate prohibited funding for the program.
  • SNAP- Support House position with no change; Senate eliminated optional categorical eligibility for those under 200% of poverty.

   Equal Justice

  • Support House PositionFund Local Offender Re-entry Councils – $ 575,000 non-recurring for six councils (Mecklenburg, Buncombe, Pitt, Nash/Edgecombe/Wilson, Hoke/Scotland/Robinson, Craven/Pamlico and $150,000 for new council in Greene/Lenoir.
  • Support House Position for Raise the Age: House Funds H280 effective Dec 2019.  House includes reserve fund for pending legislation with planning funding and $13.2 mill for Stone Wall Jackson YDC renovation to add space in preparation.  House covers F-I felonies and all misdemeanantsSenate covers misdemeanants only beginning in 2020 and does not provide budget allocation.

 

Call the 2017 Budget Conference House and Senate Chairs for comments and concerns:

Senior Chairman Rep. Dollar: 919-715-0795

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=489

Chairman Rep. Arp: 919-715-3007

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=640

Chairman Rep. Burr: 919-733-5908

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=582

Chairman Rep. Faircloth: 919-733-5877

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=603

Chairman Rep. Johnson: 919-733-5861

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=292

Chairman Rep. Lambeth: 919-733-5747

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=646

Chairman Rep. McGrady: 919-733-5956

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=605

 

Co-Chairman Sen. Harry Brown: (919) 715-3034

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=senate&nUserID=139

Co-Chairman Sen. Kathy Harrington: (919) 733-5734

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=senate&nUserID=283

Co-Chairman Sen. Brent Jackson: (919) 733-5705

http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=senate&nUserID=281

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