N.C. Senator Ellie Kinnaird's Newsletter

April 9, 2009 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Ellie Kinnaird

This week the Senate passed a budget that fits these tough economic times—it cuts state spending while still protecting jobs, education, and the health and safety of North Carolinians.

The Senate budget was approved 32-16 with bipartisan support. We are including $5 million for the Green Business Fund to help environmentally-friendly business and industry to grow in NC, and a new plan to help struggling small businesses keep their doors open in this tough economy.

We are providing public school teachers with their annual pay increase based on years of service. We are reforming our state’s required testing so that teachers and students can focus more on learning and less on testing. The Senate budget increases the class size funding allocation by two students per class. This will result in savings of more than $320 million per year and will help alleviate pressure local school systems are facing to build new schools.

It provides funding for instructional equipment and technology at community colleges, which are essential for job training and re-training. We are offering more financial aid at our universities and we are investing in engineering, scientific research, and technology.

This budget expands Health Choice to cover 15,000 more children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to afford insurance. We are also expanding health care access for the uninsured and low-income North Carolinians, and we’re hiring additional school nurses across the state. This budget protects the Home Protection program to keep laid-off workers from home foreclosure and it maintains the Housing Trust Fund.

Additional information on the Senate budget can be found on the General Assembly’s website. Please feel free to review the budget report at the following link: http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=s202

The House of Representatives will now consider the budget.

As always, I welcome your feedback on the budget, or on any other issue that the General Assembly may consider. Thank you again for the opportunity to represent you in Raleigh.

Paid for by Ellie Kinnaird for Senate • PO Box 668, Carrboro, NC 27510 • 919-929-1607 •