State lawmakers plan to hold votes Thursday and Friday on a long-delayed $30 billion budget – without a controversial casino proposal that had stalled negotiations.
House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger held a hastily scheduled news conference Tuesday night to announce their plans.
Earlier in the day, they’d planned votes on two separate bills, one with the budget, and one that would launch Medicaid expansion and casinos. But that plan would likely have required Democrats to vote for the Medicaid and casinos bill, because some conservative Republicans opposed both measures.
“Clearly, there were differences of opinion, and at the end of the day, we felt like this issue, and no single issue should hold up a budget," Moore said.
He said the final spending plan will include 4 percent raises for state employees this year, with an average teacher raise of 7 percent.
Personal income taxes would be cut by about a percentage point over the next three years, but only if state revenues hit expected targets.
Medicaid expansion will take effect when the budget becomes law.