Gov. Beverly Perdue has given a preview of her budget.

Speaking at an economic roundtable at UNC-Asheville this morning, Perdue promised new tax breaks for businesses and more spending for worker training, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

Among the tax breaks:

* Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit from 5 to 6.5 percent. 

* Allowing small businesses to exempt some profits from taxes.

* Excluding initial stock investments in some startups from capital gains.

She also pledged to spend $50 million on sewer and water projects, $17 million on workforce preparedness, $7 million on "Main Street" projects in small towns, $5 million on green businesses and $2 million to a small business grant program. 

Perdue will formally present her budget Tuesday. 

Asheville reporter Jordan Schrader writes on his Capital Letters blog that Perdue did not say anything about "how she'll pay for it."

An Asheville reporter says Pat McCrory told him he opposed a minimum-wage increase earlier this year.

An article written by Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader on May 4 noted that the Republican gubernatorial nominee said he would "probably oppose" a minimum wage hike.

The article was cited in a TV ad attacking McCrory, who argued the ad was inaccurate.

On his Capital Letters blog, Schrader has posted the full quote from his interview with McCrory:

"For right now, I'd probably keep it the way it is. I think the market conditions, especially during recessionary times, must protect the jobs, not lose the jobs."

"I want to encourage employers to give summer jobs, not discourage them, especially to our at-risk youth."

Schrader writes that the ad "oversimplies his position" but is "reasonably accurate."