After exactly an hour of debate, the Senate voted 27-17 to adopt the state budget.

The budget still needs one more vote in the chamber. 

Democrats said the budget makes dramatic cuts but lessens the impact on education and other state services by raising about a $1 billion in new revenue.

"Think about the things we would have had to do if we did not have the additional revenue," said Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat and the Senate majority leader. "These things are wrenching in their application and what they do to a society."

The few Republicans who spoke said the budget's priorities are not aligned with what Democrats are saying, and that the tax increases are not justified if the state is still cutting education.

"If you're going to raise taxes that much, you need to use it to pay for education," said Phil Berger, an Eden Republican and the party's leader in the Senate. "It's a problem of priorities. You're cutting from education and still taxing that much, and that's not right."

Despite budget cuts that restrict travel, the Department of Commerce spent about $1000 to send its assistant secretary for tourism to Oregon for a national conference.

Assistant Secretary Lynn Minges was there for a meeting of the U.S. Travel Association's board of directors. The conference, which ran from July 22-26, brought together government and private industry representatives to talk about policies such as cooperative marketing.

"We have, like every other department, certainly curtailed our travel spending," said Kathy Neal, the commerce department's assistant secretary for communications and external affairs. "This was one time where the opportunity to work in person would really determine the success of the meeting."

Neal said the conference was an opportunity to work with other tourism groups to find ways to spend advertising dollars more efficiently for one of the state's largest industries.

"We really want to be in on the ground floor for these discussions about how we can best leverage advertising and business expenses," she said.

Gov. Beverly Perdue is continuing to barnstorm the state today to push support for as much as $1.5 billion in tax increases to prevent deep cuts in education.

The governor is in Charlotte this morning for a rally at Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School. This afternoon, she will be in Asheville for a rally at T.C. Roberson High School, reports Rob Christensen.

Perdue kicked off a six-city tour Wednesday in Raleigh and Greensboro, in an effort to build public support in the legislature for raising taxes more than the $780 million tax hike proposed by the state House.

Facing a $4.7 billion budget deficit, Perdue has said that unless additional taxes are raised the state faces laying off teachers and increasing class sizes in schools.

At each stop, Perdue's rallies are being attended by members of the N.C. Association of Educators, the major teacher's lobby, members of local PTAs and other organizations.

She plans to visit Wilmington and Greenville in the next few days, in a trip that has the earmarks of a campaign swing.