The House approved a budget early Saturday morning.
The $18.6 billion budget proposal balances a deep drop in revenue through cuts, taxes and federal stimulus dollars.
The state constitution requires that two budget votes be taken on separate days. House Democratic leaders said they wanted to approve the budget this week to leave time to negotiate with the Senate and Gov. Beverly Perdue before the fiscal year begins July 1. So the House voted for the budget 64 to 54 at 11:30 p.m. Friday.
At 12:08 a.m. Saturday members approved the budget 64 to 53, sending the bill to the Senate. The vote was mostly along party lines.
"House Democrats responded honestly, forthrightly and without demagoguery to do the extremely difficult job of balancing our state's budget," House Speaker Joe Hackney said in a statement. "Our Republican counterparts stood on the sidelines and refused to cut spending or raise revenue; they just said no to every option."
Republicans criticized the specific budget cuts Democratic budget writers proposed as well as $780 million in new taxes.
"This budget will delay our economic recovery," said Rep. Thom Tillis, a Cornelius Republican.
Two Democrats, Rep. R. Van Braxton of Kinston and Rep. Cullie Tarleton of Blowing Rock, voted against the budget.


Comments
Re: House votes for budget
June 14, 2009 - 10:56pm — rightwingYou completely missed my point, while most Dixiecrat elected officials did move to the right, some even into the Republican party a significant portion of their voters did not. Having been raised, especially in North Carolina, to believe that Democrats were the party of the working man, the south, farmers, etc. they just keep pushing the button for a Democrat straight ticket.
I married into a family that has four generations pulling a straight Democrat ticket yet they have nothing in common with today’s Democratic party they are devoutly Christian, Pro-Life, abhor taxes (especially property taxes), believe our schools are failing their children, and are witnessing government regulation destroy their careers and savings and yet they would rather lose everything than vote for a Republican. My wife's grandmother jokingly stated that if Jesus Christ himself ran on the Republican ticket she might have to convert to that Islam she’s' heard so much about.
My point is that North Carolina, excluding pockets of far left wingers in the larger cities is composed of mostly conservative (fiscally and socially) people a large percentage of whom think that voting Democrat is their only choice
Re: Hey, uh, right wing feller
June 14, 2009 - 10:43pm — rightwing1/3rd of the country believes wholeheartedly in the government and will do everything they can to continue down a path towards liberal socialism or fascism. Another 1/4 to 1/3rd truly believe in what the founding fathers created a consitutional republic and reject the idea that government is deserving of our faith, instead we are skeptical of the growing power of our government and the resulting loss of freedom.
The balance of the country is made up of mostly hard working people who are just trying to make ends meet and are not educated enough or are have been indoctrinated to trust what the media tells them is the truth and therefore cannot make a decision that is in their best interest. By its very definition making a decision without comprehending its repercussions is ignorance. So no I am not calling 2/3rds of the country stupid you arrogant ass, I am calling 1/3rd hopeless, and in the case of this past election another 1/3rd gullible, swindled, negligent, and in some cases ignorant.
This past election cycle Americans were fed up with a president who was neither conservative nor liberal, was poorly spoken, and overshadowed by 4+ years of hatred from the far left. They had a choice between an old man who couldn't really be called a conservative and a charismatic African American who sold them hook line and sinker on a moderate to slightly left leaning platform and vague references to positive words like hope and change. What America got was the most left wing president since FDR intent on exercising his new found power more like a monarch then a democratially elected president, who abuses the power of his office to threaten companies, individuals, and states and bend them to his will. He spends money like its going out of style all for the "good of our economy" when the intent is to grow his power and the percentage of the country on government assistance (health care, welfare, unionization, federal and state payrolls) Democrats must have this plurality of indentured servants in order to maintain their death grip on the country they will do it by any means necessary including name calling and blatant bigotry to those of their base that dare stand up against them.
And their base, most of whom will never rise to any power within the party but will suffer equally under it, are ignorant to the facts that with every vote they cast they cheat themselves from their rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Keep electing these pawns of the DNC who are more than happy to abuse their power and office to take us further down the road to government of, by, and for the government.
Re: House votes for budget
June 14, 2009 - 3:03pm — PaulTerrellI was there friday night as the Democrats voted no to every Republican amendment. Also a democrat by the name of Anson I believe asked Rep. Blust to perfect a amendment to keep state agencies from spending ALL left over money at the end of a quarter and annual year. When Blust changed the amendment the Democrat Anson I believe then voted no. What a hypocrite.
Democrats that night proved to me that preserving their pet projects that do nothing but comfort the poor in their poverty is wrong. We should make it easier to people to step up to the middle class. But Democrats in the Legislature do not want that because they would then lose a whole block of poor voters dependent on them for handouts. Democrats, you need to hold your legislators accountable.
Re: House votes for budget
June 13, 2009 - 1:22pm — greenswampA Dixiecrat is pretty much a hard-line conservative holdover from the racist South of the 20's and 30's. Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond come to mind. These Dixiecrats are mostly Republican now.
These two must have hit the wrong button!
June 13, 2009 - 8:28am — domewatcher"Two Democrats, Rep. R. Van Braxton of Kinston and Rep. Cullie Tarleton of Blowing Rock, voted against the budget."
I know how they feel. Once I pushed the numbers for a pack crackers in a vending machine and hit the wrong button......got a pack of Doublemint Chewing Gum. Not really bad but I was hungry.
Wonder what will happen to these two Democrats who did not toe the line? Will they have toes next week? Sent to GITMO? Do we still have leper colonies?
Their best defense is the "hitting the wrong button defense." Can you imagine the glares from the top brass of the party. Have any of you ever seen the 'evil eye?"
How can these two break ranks? Don't they think along the same lines as the "shot callers?" What do you think the future holds for these two?
Has that guy left town who was doing 102 mph? Does he have any extra room in the back seat.....or trunk?
Re: House votes for budget
June 13, 2009 - 5:51am — BitterEXdemocrat112+ years of continuous democrackkk oppressive SLAVERY shows itself in the once great, now ruined, state of NC...
Is there EVER ENOUGH TAXATION for democrackkks??? EVER? Yet you stoopid IMBECILES across the state still vote for these SLAVE DRIVERS, WHAT is YOUR PROBLEM PEOPLE???
Hey, uh, right wing feller
June 13, 2009 - 12:20am — Gosh (not verified)Want your knifes sharpened? Haar fixed? Deer stuffed?
You don't report it, I sure aint.
Thanks for bringing up Dixiecrats. I think you've won your fair share over, as well as many in the "ignorance and blatant stupidity" column if Fox News viewership in trailer parks is any indication.
PS - Obama still won.
When telling two-thirds of the country they're stupid works, you let me know. Jerk.
Re: Huh.
June 12, 2009 - 11:55pm — rightwingIts also blatantly dishonest, Republicans attempted numerous cuts that the Democratic majority squashed in committee. Democrats continued their underhanded behavior by holding the vote at midnight attempting to take advantage of the fact that the NCGOP convention is taking place this weekend.
Wake up people, the Democratic majority in charge of our state thinks nothing of running us all into the ground, running our employers out of the state, and turning us into another Michigan or Ohio with their ludicrous spending programs and absolute disregard for common sense fiscal policies.
The legacy of dixiecrats voting straight Democrat tickets in this state by people who refuse to actually look at what the candidates have done or stand for has burdened those of us who investigate the people we support with the burden of the ignorance and blatant stupidity of a plurality of North Carolina voters.
Huh.
June 12, 2009 - 11:36pm — Gosh (not verified)That's different.