Senate Republicans try to thaw NC budget talks with House

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Senate Republicans are trying to thaw North Carolina government budget talks with the House a week before a temporary spending extension expires.

Senate leader Phil Berger announced Wednesday his side would remove from negotiations provisions in its spending plan related to overhauling Medicaid and changing economic incentives. House counterparts and Gov. Pat McCrory have criticized the Senate for failing to put those provisions in legislation separate from the budget. That’s what Berger says the Senate will now do.

Berger also says senators are now willing to spend $180 million more this year than what its spending plan proposed. It’s still $500 million short of what the House budget spent.

House budget chairman Nelson Dollar says the Senate made some positive movements but says there’s a lot more work to do.

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