Statement: Governor’s budget investments represent small fraction of what is needed to help grow North Carolina’s economy

RALEIGH (April 22, 2016) — If the Governor follows through with the modest additional investments in his budget announcement today, it will represent a pragmatic, yet still constrained, approach to the state’s need for public investments. With the unanticipated revenues that are available due to a recovering national economy, the Governor is seeking to make smart investments in key areas to promote child well-being and support improved educational outcomes. But this additional investment represents a small fraction of what is needed to realize his principles of preparing for future growth and helping those who are struggling in today’s economy.

Without the budget proposal fully available for analysis, it is difficult to say whether these new investments highlighted come at the cost of other critical areas. Certainly, it is unclear how the Governor will seek to sustain any new public investments with the already scheduled phase-in of additional cuts to the personal and corporate income tax and the needed servicing of the Connect NC bond.

Even without the full budget proposal, we know that the Governor is limited by the costly income tax cuts implemented since 2013 that primarily benefit wealthy and profitable corporations. These cuts result in at least $1 billion less in revenue each year than what would otherwise have been available to build a solid foundation for a North Carolina economy that works for everyone. We therefore question whether the state will be able to realize the full benefits of these public investments while policymakers allow tax cuts to continue that primarily benefit wealthy and profitable corporations.

It also remains to be seen whether the Governor can deliver on even the few small promises made in today’s announcement. We hope that the General Assembly will choose reinvestment over harmful tax cuts or arbitrary spending formulas and commit to building an economy that works for everyone.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Alexandra Forter Sirota, alexandra@ncjustice.org, 919.861.1468; Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org, 919.863.2406.