(RALEIGH) – After spending much of the last week criticizing the Republican-led General Assembly’s $19.7 billion budget, Governor Bev Perdue Sunday vetoed the GOP spending plan. This sets up a showdown between the Democratic governor and the Republican led legislature.

A total of five House Democrats voted for the budget, and if they continue their support that would be enough to override the veto. Republicans already have a sufficient majority in the Senate to override the veto without Democratic support.

Governor Perdue offered her own state budget, which totaled around $19.9 billion, but also kept much of a one-cent “temporary” sales tax on the books. Republicans had promised during the last election that they would allow the tax, passed during the depths of the recession, to expire.

Perdue had until Tuesday to make a decision on the budget, or to allow the budget to pass without her signature.  Now, the North Carolina General Assembly could vote to override the Governor's veto of the budget as early as Tuesday.