House approves teacher-pay and salary package as separate PCS; opponents warn of agency cuts

The North Carolina House approved House Bill 192 on June 25, a package carrying the House’s teacher-pay increases and state employee salary adjustments previously included in the chamber’s budget.

Representative White, sponsor of the PCS, described the measure as carrying the House’s already‑passed salary package into a PCS to move it to the Senate. "This PCS of 192 before you is year 1 of what we passed in the House budget… This package that we all voted on prior will raise our beginning teacher pay, to be number 1 in the Southeast, which I know that's very important to all of us," White said on the floor.

Supporters emphasized the teacher pay increases and a 2.5% increase for state employees and a retiree supplement. "This equals a 6% increase average across the board," a sponsor told members, identifying a 6.4% figure for a first year and 8.7% for the two‑year package in other remarks.

Opponents said the package’s offsets—across‑the‑board eliminations of vacant positions and agency staffing changes—amount to cuts that risk core services. Representative Mario said the approach relies on eliminating 20% of positions in some agencies and could reduce psychiatric treatment capacity and corrections staffing; Representative Rubin said the claims of vacant positions mask real staffing shortfalls and argued that the plan 'blindly' cuts agencies while trying to deliver pay increases.

The House recorded a second‑reading vote of 94–19 in favor, and the committee substitute passed third reading and was ordered sent to the Senate. Members said the PCS is intended to keep progress on teacher pay while negotiations on a full conference budget continue.