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The Daily Tar Heel

Budget cuts stretch across state programs

Aim to close $4.6 billion budget gap

On Aug. 7, Gov. Bev Perdue approved the N.C. 2009-11 budget. The final budget totaled $19 billion and included deep cuts in order to close a $4.6 billion budget gap. Below is an overview of the cuts:

Public education

  • Cut $48 million by delaying the purchase of new math textbooks for grades 6-12 in 2009-2010 and $115.4 million with a complete moratorium on new textbooks for 2010-11
  • Cut $12 million each year by eliminating all 200 literary coaches in the state
  • Cut $75,000 from Governor’s Schools’ budget both years (a $500 tuition fee will be added beginning in 2010-2011)
  • Cut $2 million each year in funding to programs for people with limited English proficiency
  • Cut $38.3 million each year in funding to assist students who perform poorly on state standardized tests

 

Community colleges

  • Cut $14.6 million each year by eliminating state funding for dual enrollment programs (community college course offerings for high school students)

 

Health and human services

  • Cut $12.9 million each year by eliminating 350 positions in the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
  • Cut $2.4 million by eliminating 45 positions in the Division of Public Health
  • Cut $218,000 in state funding for emergency room visits for non-emergencies and will make up the difference by increasing the co-payment by $5 (from $20 to $25)
  • Cut $450,000 in state funding for prescription drugs and will make up the difference by increasing co-payments

 

Environment

  • Eliminated appropriations for state parks in 2009-10, using increased fees for facility use to make up the difference, and cut $500,000 for 2010-11
  • Cut $50 million from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund

 

Justice and public safety

  • Cut $8.1 million from the state Department of Corrections by eliminating 187 vacant positions
  • Cut $975,000 from the juvenile justice department by eliminating 25 vacant positions
  • Cut $480,000 from funding for the Center for the Prevention of School Violence
  • Cut almost $1.8 million by eliminating 14 judicial district manager offices in the Department of Corrections and consolidating them into the remaining offices throughout the state.
  • Cut $8.4 million in 2009-10 and $22.3 million in 2010-11 by closing seven prisons in North Carolina
  • Cut $190,000 each year in operating fees from the Alcohol Law Enforcement division

 

Taxes

  • Raised tax on cigarettes from 35 cents a pack to 45 cents a pack
  • Raised taxes on beer by 5 cents per six-pack and on wine by 4 cents a bottle and raised the tax on liquor from 25 percent to 30 percent.


Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.

 

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