Sen. Berger Statement on State Budget Veto

Today, Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) announced when the General Assembly returns for the legislative short session the Senate will not reconsider Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state budget, House Bill 966.

“When we come back into session next week our focus will be on providing relief for North Carolina citizens suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our state’s financial outlook is in a vastly different place than it was before this pandemic hit. Because of that, we will not be reconsidering the veto of the state budget this year,” Sen. Berger said.

“We’re staring down a multi-billion dollar revenue shortfall, which negatively impacts our ability to fund the vetoed budget. In order to ensure that we can continue to operate basic government services into the next fiscal year, it’s more prudent to keep operating on the certified budget.”

Today, the Senate budget writers sent a letter to Gov. Cooper asking him to instruct all executive branch agencies to voluntarily find a 1% savings in their budgets. That 1% would provide $250 million in cushion for the state to spend in the next fiscal year.