The budget also funds two new positions to address stormwater permitting, inspection and compliance two new positions in the Division of Waste Management to handle permitting of industrial landfills for the ash five new positions dedicated to dam inspection and safety evaluations at the ash ponds and up to six new “reserve” positions in the secretary’s office to support management of the coal ash plan.

Most of the new positions created in the plan will be in DENR’s Division of Water Resources for inspections and groundwater monitoring and the development of closure plans. That includes the ponds at Duke Energy’s Asheville power plant, which are among the state’s four high priority sites. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, adding $1.75 million annually for monitoring coal ash ponds and developing closure plans for each of 14 sites in the state. The budget also contains a substantial boost in funding for the N.C. He said the WNC law enforcement community has rallied around the idea because of the need in WNC for faster turnaround of tests, including the processing of DWI (Driving While Impaired) toxicology reports. Hise said he thinks there will be support for the plan once the state House takes up the budget, which is expected to happen this week.

The Senate plan provides annual debt service for up $15.4 million in bonds to cover the cost of construction of a new lab at the North Carolina Justice Academy in Edneyville in Henderson County. Hise also said he was particularly pleased to see the money for the Western Crime Lab in the budget. Western Crime Lab, coal ash monitoring included “They want to hold on to their tenure more than they want the raises,” he added. Members of the NCAE and other teacher organizations, he said, are “finding anything they can about it to be upset about.” “Most teachers I’ve had conversations with are very excited,” Hise said. Hise is one of the state Senate’s chief budget writers. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, told Carolina Public Press that the push back he’s heard has come from the organizations and not the teachers themselves. Last week, North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) President Rodney Ellis called the Senate plan “a vindictive and cynical attempt” to take advantage of teachers who have not had a substantial raise since 2007.īut Sen. The proposal would propel the state back to the middle of the pack.īut the plan has drawn fire from teacher organizations, over the career status provisions, which teacher groups say prevent administrators from firing teachers without cause. The plan, which passed 32 to 10 with only one Democrat voting for it, would swap cuts to the education budget, including elimination of state support for about 7,400 teaching assistants, to help pay for the raises, which would cost roughly $465 million.Ībout 57,000 veteran teachers would be required to give up their tenure rights in order to qualify for the pay raise.Ĭuts over the past two years have dropped North Carolina teacher pay to 46th in the nation. State employees would see a $1,000 raise and teachers who are willing to give up their due process rights would get an 11 percent bump in salary as part of a $21.1 billion budget plan passed by the Senate just after midnight on Saturday. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, answers questions on the state Senate budget proposal during its rollout last week at the legislature. Budget boosts teacher pay, coal ash oversight, WNC crime lab construction funding Budget co-chair Sen.

Raleigh budget