When North Carolina General Assembly Republicans released a budget proposal that would eliminate corporate tax rates while providing a “teacher raise” that even for veteran educators would increase their salary by less than $20 a month, they faced pushback from across the state. While North Carolina Republicans couldn’t seem to find the money needed to fund life-saving health care, pay the debt that we owe our students by funding a sound education, and expand economic opportunities for all through job creation and small business support, they managed to pour over $700 million into a slush fund used nearly exclusively for projects in Republican districts. 

“This Republican slush fund is the latest example of how the Republican proposed ‘budget’ is nothing more than a partisan wish list devoid of any good faith efforts to work in a bipartisan way on funding initiatives that would benefit all North Carolinians,” said NCDP spokesperson Rachel Stein. “A budget is a reflection of values, and it becomes increasingly clear that Republicans place more value on the wealthy and corporations than communities in need. North Carolina families deserve a budget that invests money wisely and transparently. They deserve a budget that works for them.” 

Under the Republicans’ proposal, nine of the poorest counties in the state, counties that are also represented by two Democratic Senators would receive no direct funds. Investing in historically underserved communities should not be partisan. Yet, out of the more than 200 local projects that would receive funding from the Republican’s proposal, only about 20 of them are represented exclusively by Democrats.