Budget calls for tax cuts: Senate budget bill would cut state taxes by $1 billion

The state Senate rolled out its proposed budget for the coming year last week, and it differs sharply from the one previously put forth by Gov. Roy Cooper.

The Senate version calls for more cuts in taxes that would help stimulate the economy, and we believe that is a good idea. We don't like paying unnecessary taxes and if approved, the Senate measure would mean more than $1 billion less in taxes over the next two years. That sounds good to us.

Democrats, of course, criticized the GOP led tax plan, calling it a rich man's budget. But the Senate bill contains cuts for every level of income and even includes a 3.7 percent raise for school teachers.

The state House will soon unveil its own proposed budget, which will be different from the Senate bill. Let's hope the two chambers can come up with a compromise bill without taking too long -- we don't need a drawn-out legislative session when both the House and Senate are controlled by the same party.

Once approved by the Legislature, the budget plan will be submitted to Cooper for his signature, which it likely won't get. The governor has vetoed most of the major legislation brought to him so far, and he will probably stick to his guns on the budget. But the Legislature has the votes to override his veto, and they have shown that capability more than once.

All in all, it looks like the taxpayers might actually win this one.

Published in Editorials on May 13, 2017 10:55 PM