The budget passed the second of three votes Thursday night in the House of Representatives, 80-35. Pending the third vote, the bill would be sent to McCrory as the clock ticks toward a midnight Friday deadline.
McCrory on Thursday told the Associated Press and WRAL he will sign the budget — just days after he expressed reservations to the AP about changes to sales tax and other portions of the appropriations bill.
The 429-page budget — and supplementary 207-page money report — passed the Senate on Wednesday, 37-13, less than 24 hours after the budget’s details were finalized. Three Democratic state senators voted for the budget along with all the Republican senators.
A number of senators were upset at having so little time to review the final document before being forced to vote, especially when late changes directly impact their districts.
Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, was the only Democrat who spoke during the brief floor debate before the final vote.
He spoke against the limits on light-rail spending in the budget, which will likely derail a plan to build a train line from Raleigh to Durham — as well as the lack of opportunity to amend the budget once he saw that provision.
“It’s going to tie our hands when it comes to the important issues here in this Triangle area,” he said on the floor of the General Assembly.
“The problem is, it’s too late to make a change that will determine the color of this bill, because it can’t be tweaked.”
