Friday, August 03, 2007

Greetings From Raleigh 08-03-07

The House and Senate gave final approval this week to a $20.7 billion budget that strengthens education; lifts the Medicaid burden from our counties; and improves our health, environment, and economy. This budget addresses the needs of our students at all levels, will ensure efficient spending in government, and moves North Carolina forward.

I am very proud of the work we have done to reach this budget and am certain that it will better the lives of everyone across the state. The budget was one of the last items we considered during the session. The session wrapped up late Thursday night after we handled the last of the thousands of bills filed this year. I believe we had a successful session, continuing to address ethics reform, improving the lives of our military families, and protecting the environment. We also found a way to offer tax cuts and tax relief to small businesses and thousands of people who earn less than $40,000 a year.

This newsletter largely highlights the budget. We will send a wrap up summarizing the session next week. It was one of the best in recent memory and set a strong foundation for next year's short session.

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