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Mon late: Here it is
posted at 2009-08-04 00:46 | Last modified 2009-08-04 00:55
The budget bill, S202, was read in both chambers at around 11pm this evening. You can find the bill itself here, and the money report here. (Note: both are huge PDFs, so expect a delay.)
Items of interest:
- Total state jobs cut '09-10: 2,191. Total in '10-11: 2,453. I don't think these numbers account for potential teacher layoffs due to class size reductions. But top negotiators say attrition and vacancies should cover most of the axed positions.
- The "class-size protection" provision was amended to cover K-3 teachers as opposed to K-6. Senator Linda Garrou said the Governor agreed to the change after receiving calls from local superintendents who wanted more flexibility. Some had apparently already begun expanding class sizes in grades 4 and up. LEAs will still lose $225M statewide, but that beats the $300M cut originally proposed.
- The special in-state tuition deal for UNC's out-of-state scholarship athletes appears to be out. Just last Friday, Senate Approps Chair Linda Garrou assured reporters the grant would stay in. But p. 63 of tonight's version of S202 says otherwise:
"...Inasmuch as the giving of tuition and fee waivers, or especially reduced rates,
26 represent in effect a variety of scholarship awards, the said practice is hereby prohibited except
27 when expressly authorized by statute or by the Board of Governors of The University of North
28 Carolina; and, furthermore, it is hereby directed and required that all budgeted funds expended
29 for scholarships of any type must be clearly identified in budget reports. The Board of
30 Governors of The University of North Carolina shall not authorize a reduced rate of tuition for
31 the special talent of athletics."
Well, alright, then.
More tomorrow, in daylight. There's a chance the House could vote on it tomorrow afternoon, but Hackney said tonight any member could make a motion to postpone the vote to request more time to read the gargantuan bill, and Orange Dem Bill Faison implied tonight he may do just that. So on the House side, the safe bet is a Wed/Thurs vote. The Senate doesn't brook opposition as gracefully as the House, so it's a good bet they'll go ahead with a Tuesday vote, whether or not members have had time to read what they're voting on.
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