MEDIA ADVISORY: Press conference will urge Senate to build on House budget plan, focus on reinvestment

WHAT: Press conference to address how the Senate budget should focus on reinvestment in key public services, build upon House proposal

WHO: Service providers, parents and issue experts from the Budget & Tax Center, MomsRising, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in NC, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, DHIC, Inc. and more

WHEN: Monday, June 8, 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: Front lawn of NC General Assembly, 16 W. Jones Street, Raleigh

RALEIGH (June 5, 2015) — As the North Carolina Senate prepares to release its budget, possibly as early as next week, service providers, parents and issue experts from a variety of organizations will gather to highlight why reinvestment in core public services is critical to the well being of all North Carolinians and the future of the state’s economy.

The NC House of Representative’s proposed budget plan offers the highest level of investments since the official economic recovery began in 2009. Yet the plan still falls short of pre-recession levels of investments, fails to replace years of harmful cuts, and does not reflect all that’s needed to foster inclusive economic growth. Speakers at the press conference will discuss how the NC Senate budget should keep and build upon many of the key investments made in the House budget plan while moving the state even farther ahead.

Service providers, North Carolina parents and issue experts will make recommendations in areas the Senate should expand upon in their budget, including:

• MomsRising on making sure teachers are paid well to creating a high quality experience for children in the classroom; investing more in textbooks; funding Teachers’ Assistants, enrollment growth, and improvements in Internet connectivity for public schools.
• Jack Register with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in NC on increasing investments in mental health both in the DHHS budget and in the courts.
• Jill Bullard with the Inter-faith Food Shuttle on the Healthy Corner Store Initiative and senior food insecurity.
• Yvette Holmes, Director of Community Partnerships & Development at DHIC, on affordable housing.
• Child care provider on the importance of correcting some of the harmful policy changes made to child care subsidies last year.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Tazra Mitchell, tazra@ncjustice.org, 919.861.1451; Jeff Shaw, jeff@ncjustice.org, 503.551.3615 (cell).