RALEIGH — Legislation allowing North Carolina public school teachers only seniority pay raises already on the books has cleared one General Assembly chamber despite complaints from Gov. Roy Cooper and other Democrats that they're insufficient.
The Senate agreed to the Republican measure on Thursday in a near party-line vote. The legislation would ensure that teachers move up the current salary scale this fall based on another year of being on the job. Salaries listed in the scale wouldn't change in the bill now heading to the House.
The minimal raises are the result of an extended budget impasse between Republicans and Cooper, who vetoed the state budget passed by the GOP in June.
The budget bill contained nearly 4% teacher raises on average over two years. Cooper wants double that amount.
