From WFMYnews2.com:

The North Carolina General Assembly’s long session adjourned in the fall, with state lawmakers unable to pass a new state budget. 

And if you ask Senator Phil Berger, he doubts there will be compromise in 2020. 

“It’s entirely possible that it will be 2021 before we actually have another opportunity to adopt a full budget,” he said Friday in an exclusive interview, “But remember, we have a certified budget for that two-year period in North Carolina.”

When the most powerful lawmaker in Raleigh can single-handedly stall a budget from passing, keep the NCGA in an extra long session and accomplish next to nothing, vilify teachers and public school advocates, and allow for more corporate tax breaks to take effect while not adequately funding public schools or expanding Medicare, then there is something terribly wrong.

When a man can spear-head efforts at racial gerrymandering, pass controversial Voter ID laws, and sit on a large state surplus without investing in social services for the state’s citizens, then this state has a problem.

In the news post referred to above Berger went on to say,

“I think your viewers need to ask themselves, do they even know that we have a budget stalemate in North Carolina? I would say that for 95% of the people in the state of North Carolina, the current situation with the budget has had zero impact on their lives,” he said. 

“The schools are open, the kids are going to school, social services are functioning in North Carolina. Law enforcement is doing what they’re supposed to be doing. So, for most people it has no impact.”

No impact? Not on schools or other services that rely a lot on non-recurring funds? That’s funny because literally he then told WFMY News 2 that “across the state, counties are losing out on significant new funding. For state funding allocated to just Guilford County, he says – it’s around $100 million dollars we aren’t getting.”

Losing significant funding does not have a “significant impact?”

It’s that kind of deliberate lying and manipulation that is holding this state hostage and hurting our public schools (among other things).

But a Phil Berger without a GOP majority in the NC House would be weakened.

A Phil Berger without a GOP majority in the NC Senate would be even weaker.

A Phil Berger defeated in the 2020 election would be even better.

And remember that if Dan Forest is elected governor, he would never veto a Phil Berger budget.