In Salaries and Benefits

RALEIGH -- Senate Republicans say their North Carolinaputs even more money aside in reserve to soften economic downturns than the House spending plan did.Senate leaders laid out more details Tuesday of their $22.2 billion plan to adjust the second year of the current two-year budget. The entire spending plan was expected to be released in the evening, with floor votes anticipated for later in the week."Helping our public schools and teachers, letting families keep more of their hard-earned money, and controlling the spiraling cost of college are the issues we hear about the most from people all across North Carolina," said Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.The Senate budget would put another $583 million in the state's rainy day reserves, raising it toward $1.7 billion.The Senate also would give performance-based bonuses and raises to state employees, rather than the House's across-the-board increases."I am proud of my Senate colleagues for crafting a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that includes a plan to raise average teacher pay to $55,000, allows the typical North Carolina family to keep an additional $110 by making the first $17,500 of their income tax-free, and reduces tuition at five public universities to $1,000 per year while ensuring tuition does not increase at any UNC system school during a student's four years in college," Berger said.As announced previously, average teacher pay would grow above $51,000 this coming fall in the Senate proposal.Some additional key provisions of the budget include: