RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue vetoed the North Carolina budget plan Sunday, saying the Republican led Legislature's proposal would do “generational damage” to public education
Perdue's announcement in the old Capitol building made history. She the first North Carolina chief executive to ever veto the state government budget bill. Perdue also continued her criticism on GOP legislative leaders, who could still win this fiscal battle with an expected override vote this week.
“We have a Legislature that is turning its back on our schools, our children, our longstanding investments in education and our future economic prospects,” Perdue said. “This budget will result in generational damage. It will tear at the very fibers that make North Carolina strong — not only our schools, but also our communities, our environment, our public safety system and our ability to care for those who need us most.”
Senate leader Phil Berger said the veto was irresponsible and political.
“The same governor who claims to champion job creation and public education has vetoed a bipartisan budget that does more for both causes than her own proposal,” said Berger, R-Rockingham.
Perdue had until Tuesday to sign the two-year spending plan into law, veto it, or let it become law without her signature. Her veto wasn't unexpected. She's traveled the state over the past few weeks deriding the budget for next year, saying it will devastate public education and lay off thousands of workers.
She talked about her discussions with local educators, business leaders and other citizens as she issued her veto.
“They came to me as North Carolinians, and they asked me to stand up for what is right for our children and grandchildren, for what moves North Carolina forward, not backward,” she said.
North Carolina governors have vetoed 15 previous bills since they received the power in 1997. But none has ever rejected the budget.
Republicans were all but predicting victory late last week, even with a veto, since five Democrats joined GOP lawmakers in giving a two-year spending bill final approval last weekend.
None of the five have yet waivered, despite an onslaught of criticism from Perdue as well as her allies, who have been running TV ads, sending mailers and holding impassioned meetings in the districts of the defectors in hopes of turning them back. Just four would have to side with Republicans in the House. The Senate Republican majority is already veto-proof.
A successful override would be a painful defeat for Democrats and for Perdue, who offered a budget four months ago that would have extended most of a penny temporary increase in the sales tax set to expire June 30 to prevent the kinds of cuts she said the Republican budget plan would cause.
“They know that much of damage that this budget seeks to do is simply unnecessary,” Perdue said. “They chose to risk our future — for less than a penny.”
The renegade Democrats interviewed were convinced GOP leaders would never agree to anything short of the entire penny sales tax expiring.
“The Republicans and the governor were just way, way apart,” said Rep. Jim Crawford, D-Granville, the most senior legislator of the five and a former top budget-writer when Democrats were in charge. “A lot of people don't like to admit that we came to a better conclusion in the middle, but the truth is we have a much better budget than we'd have any other way.”
A successful override would build muscles of the new GOP House and Senate majorities after they lost a series of veto showdowns with Perdue earlier this year. They would enact a budget two weeks before the new fiscal year begins, the earliest date in about 30 years, according to General Assembly data.
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