Republicans in the North Carolina legislature are currently locked in a budgetary standoff, which has been further complicated by disagreements over the inclusion of provisions related to the expansion of state-sanctioned gambling. This impasse, occurring after months of negotiations, has delayed the enactment of a two-year budget, which was originally scheduled to be in place by July 1.
House Speaker Tim Moore has expressed reservations about garnering sufficient support from GOP colleagues in the House for a final budget that includes authorization for new casinos and video gambling machines, WITN reported.
“At this point, the only way the House can pass a budget is if it does not include gaming in it,” Moore was quoted as saying in the report.
House Speaker Tim Moore
Moore’s stance is seen as a departure from a prior agreement, according to Senate leader Phil Berger, who contends that Moore had committed to including gambling provisions if at least half of House Republicans supported them. Berger asserts that this alteration essentially nullifies the overall budget agreement.
“It is their responsibility to honor the agreement that we had, and that is put (gambling) in, put (the budget) on the floor and we’ll vote it. I believe that House leadership needs to live up to its commitments,” Berger said, as per WITN.
Moore, however, refutes this claim, asserting that no such agreement was violated and that his commitment to a final budget was contingent upon securing the necessary votes for its passage. Approximately 30 House Republicans have indicated that they will not support a budget that includes gambling provisions, according to him.
Senate leader Phil Berger
Negotiations between House and Senate Republicans extended throughout the summer on various matters, such as income tax cuts, pay raises, and the allocation of billions of dollars in reserves for special programs and initiatives, despite the original deadline for enacting a two-year budget of approximately $30 billion annually being July 1.
Among these matters, there has been a push by several lawmakers, including Berger, to include provisions authorizing additional casinos and legalizing video gambling machines statewide. These gambling-related proposals have now jeopardized the passage of other budgetary provisions.
Details of the gambling provisions in question have not been made public. House Republicans held closed-door meetings to assess them, while members of the House Freedom Caucus, a significant faction of “no” votes on gambling, also met separately with Berger.
Hopes for final budget votes this week have been dashed, as House Speaker Moore has postponed formal House business until the following week. Moore has indicated that his chamber may employ a parliamentary maneuver to conduct its own budget votes in an attempt to exert pressure on the Senate. However, Senate leader Berger has suggested that both chambers may need to revisit the drawing board.
For any final spending plan to become law, it must receive approval from both the House and Senate before reaching the desk of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Governor Cooper expressed frustration at the impasse, particularly as it affects funding for crucial areas such as public education, salaries, and mental health treatment.
Notably, North Carolina currently hosts three casinos operated by two Native American tribes. One proposal under consideration this summer envisioned the establishment of new casinos in Rockingham, Nash, and Anson counties, along with another in southeastern North Carolina.
Supporters of these casinos argue that they would generate employment opportunities in economically challenged regions, increase tax revenues, and offer a counter to gambling options emerging across the border in Virginia.
In contrast, opponents, particularly residents in targeted counties and social conservatives, contend that these casinos would lead to declining property values and exacerbate social issues.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2023/09/13/68757-north-carolina-budget-stalemate-over-gambling-provisions-persists-in-gop-legislature
