South Mecklenburg News

North Carolina Republican lawmakers are touting their support to public education during the COVID-19 pandemic by noting a $700 allocation through CARES Act funding. 

“For nearly a decade the Republicans in the General Assembly have methodically and thoughtfully increased education spending,” Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-Watauga) said in a news release posted to Sen. Phil Berger's (R-Rockingham) Medium press website on July 17. “Now, facing the reality of a recession, instead of furloughing teachers and cutting education budgets like the North Carolina Democrats did during the last recession, we’ve held the line and kept education funding steady, provided pay raises and bonuses for teachers.”

Former Gov. Beverly Perdue proposed a budget cut of 3.2% during the state's last recession, Berger's Medium post said, but he also expected federal money to fill the gap this created. The post said Gov. Roy Cooper shouldn't expect one-time funding from the federal government just because Perdue received it during the last recession. 

“At least Gov. Perdue provided the General Assembly a proposal during the last recession,” Ballard said in the statement on Berger's site. “If Gov. Cooper is waiting and wishing for the federal government to give more one-time funding, that’s not a smart budgeting strategy. He has had nearly $96 million at his fingertips since May. … And it’s still unspent.”