Gov. Bev Perdue, at 3:05 p.m. on Feb. 22, exercised her veto power to send SB 13, “The Balanced Budget Act of 2011,” back to the General Assembly. It was the first veto by the Democratic governor for this Republican-majority legislative session.
In a statement issued by her office, Perdue noted that she had been willing to sign the portion of the legislation that sought $400 million in savings from the current budget as a wedge against the projected 2011-12 deficit. But SB 13 went further to target millions in transfer from specific fund balances in the current budget, and Perdue objected specifically to the offset in economic incentive money. “The bill in its current form forces a one-time cash-grab from funds that are intended to create jobs and spur economic development. That’s not the right move for North Carolina, where jobs simply must be our No. 1 priority,” Perdue said about her reasoning for the veto,.
According to the Winston-Salem Journal, the Legislature’s Republican majority does not plan to fight the governor’s veto, but does plan to introduce legislation today that would challenge Perdue to find some $537 million in savings herself.
by Nelda Holder, contributing editor
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