MONROE– Using a Union County school as a backdrop, Governor Pat McCrory signed the $22.3 billion state budget. Supporters tout that average teacher pay in North Carolina will be more than $50,000 for the first time in state history.

“This budget further fulfills my vision to increase average annual teacher pay to $50,000 for the first time in state history, provides a middle class tax cut, makes college more affordable and makes much needed investments to improve mental health services, all while strengthening our position as one of the fastest growing economies in the nation,” said Governor McCrory in a press release. “We look forward to building on our successes through these important investments for North Carolina’s future.”

Teachers will receive an average 4.7 percent pay increase, bringing average teacher pay in North Carolina above $50,000 for the first time in state history. When considering robust health and retirement benefits offered to every full-time teacher in our state, the budget will boost average total compensation to more than $67,000. Teacher pay in North Carolina is growing faster than in any other state in the country since McCrory took office, according to the Governor’s office. Since 2013, North Carolina has invested more than $1 billion in new funding for teacher raises.

Additionally, the budget will increase the personal income tax standard deduction by $2,000 for married filing jointly and proportionately for other filers, the budget will eliminates income taxes for approximately 75,000 taxpayers, according to state estimates.

On higher education, starting with students entering this fall, this budget will freeze undergraduate tuition for students at all University of North Carolina schools who graduate in four years, or five years for those in five-year programs. Fee increases are now capped at 3 percent annually and tuition is dropped to $500 per semester for in-state students at Elizabeth City State University, UNC-Pembroke and Western Carolina University.

The budget also invests $20 million to implement recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use.

The plan was not without critics. Among them, a spokesman for the Republican incumbents rival in the November election, Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper.

“This budget leaves North Carolina uncompetitive with neighboring states who are actively recruiting our best teachers out of state.  Meanwhile, the governor has repeatedly refused to even meet with teachers who just want a real plan to improve our schools. This is exactly the kind of empty leadership we need to change in November,” said Cooper for NC spokesman Ford Porter in an e-mail sent shortly after the budget

However, other groups were quick to praise the budget.

We applaud Gov. McCrory for returning surplus public dollars to taxpayers through another round of income tax relief. This tax relief puts middle class families first by raising the standard deduction to $17,500.  Instead of recklessly spending the budget surplus created by our economic expansion and tax cuts, Gov. McCrory and General Assembly leaders have wisely put hundreds of millions more into rainy day reserves and invested in narrowing the education performance gap through Opportunity Scholarships that offer low-income students school choice,” said  Americans for Prosperity State Director Donald Bryson.

The budget grows responsibly by 2.8 percent, which is more slowly than the rate of population plus inflation and is balanced, consistent with the state constitution and responsible governance. In line with responsible fiscal management, the budget invests $473 million in the state’s rainy day fund, bringing the reserve to an all-time high of nearly $1.6 billion.