State Rep. Jennifer Weiss has her eye on mental health.

The Cary Democrat said that her biggest priority in the short session is increasing funding for the state's mental health system, particularly in light of problems with recent reform efforts.

"We've really got to make sure that we have adequate beds at state hospitals for people in crisis," she said. 

On other issues, she said that she will focus on helping people dealing with home foreclosures, increasing the state's annual spending on the Housing Trust Fund and expanding health care access.

She'll also be looking at recommendations from task forces on heart disease and stroke prevention and reducing child fatalities. 

State Rep. Deborah Ross has her eye on education.

The Raleigh Democrat says her biggest goal for the budget is a raise for teachers and state employees, though she did not have a specific amount in mind.

"I don't want to give a number because then they'll be mad at me because I didn't say a high enough number," she said. "I'm hoping that we can do as well as we did last year."

In the 2007-08 budget,  teachers, UNC faculty and community college instructors received a 5 percent increase, while most state employees got a 4 percent raise.

Ross said she also hopes to land the rest of the funding for the Green Square project in downtown Raleigh, increase the contribution to the Housing Trust Fund to $50 million a year, add consumer protection measures on foreclosures and put a transportation bond before voters.

She also wants more funding for domestic violence shelters and other changes. 

"We want to reduce the number of violations of domestic violence protective orders you need before it's considered a felony," she said. 

Bob Orr says the state should boost the Housing Trust Fund.

After a tour of Western North Carolina, the Republican gubernatorial candidate told the Asheville Citizen-Times that the region needs more affordable housing.

That could mean boosting the fund further. Last year, the Campaign for Housing Carolina got the legislature to increase the fund to $19 million for the 2006-07 budget year. It is pushing for an annual $50 million appropriation.

"I may not have said 'yes' prior to going up there," he said. "I think I would say 'yes' now. I think it’s going to become an ever-increasing problem."