House Passes Budget Bills For Transportation And Community Colleges PDF Print E-mail
State Government
By Administrator   
Friday, 11 October 2019 09:38
Billions of state dollars for the North Carolina Community College System and the Department of Transportation (DOT) were approved by the state House of Representatives as the legislature continues to fund state government priorities blocked by the Governor’s budget veto through stand-alone appropriations bills.  
 
House Bill 100 DOT Budget for 2019-2021 Biennium and Senate Bill 61 Community Colleges Budget/2019-2021 Biennium received broad bipartisan support in the state House.  
 
H.B. 100 was given final legislative passage and sent to the Governor, while S.B. 61 was returned to the North Carolina Senate.  
 
H.B. 100 is consistent with the vetoed state budget to adjust appropriations and availability schedules for over $8 billion in the Highway Funds and Highway Trust Funds over the biennium.  
 
The bill also includes spending directives for transportation capital, repairs, and renovation needs, as well as standard statutory language governing DOT’s receipt and use of grant funds and establishing or increasing fees.  
 
It further provides more than $12 million in general airport funding, addresses budgeting for DOT salary increases, and contains special provisions governing DOT’s operations.  
 
North Carolina dramatically reformed its approach to transportation funding under Republican leadership this decade, moving from direct budget appropriations decided by legislators to the formulaic Strategic Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  
 
S.B. 61 provides over $2 billion to community colleges in North Carolina and contains special provisions for their operations, including the NC Career Coaches program, instruction in local jails, the system’s reorganization authority, and a tuition waiver for dependents of fallen correctional officers. 
 
The primary providers of workforce training, licensure, and certifications statewide, a recent national study found six of North Carolina’s community colleges were among the 10 best in the nation.   
 
North Carolina has the third largest community college system in the country, with 58 colleges serving all 100 counties.
 
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