VOLUME 10 ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025
NSJONLINE.COM
JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP PHOTO
All gave some, some gave all President Donald Trump salutes during a Memorial Day wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday.
State House unveils, passes budget plan
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BRIEF this week
Trump, Vance honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day Arlington Va. President Donald Trump paid tribute to fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday in an address that honored the “great, great warriors” yet also briefly veered into politics as he boasted of a nation he is “fixing after a long and hard four years.” Trump commemorated the sacrifice of U.S. service members and singled out several Gold Star families to tell the stories of their fallen relatives at the cemetery where more than 400,000 have been laid to rest. Vice President JD Vance, who spoke before Trump, urged the crowd to push political leaders to treat the lives of soldiers as the “most precious resource.”
4 Liverpool fans seriously hurt when car plows into crowd Liverpool, England British police were holding a 53-year-old man on Tuesday over a collision that turned a joyous soccer celebration in Liverpool into tragedy and sent more than two dozen people to hospitals, four of them in very serious condition. Merseyside Police said they are not treating the incident as terrorism and are not looking for other suspects. Detectives were working to piece together how a minivan plowed into crowds packing a narrow street, just after the players of Liverpool Football Club had celebrated the Premier League championship with an open-topped bus parade.
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The proposal would spend more than $65.9 billion over the biennium
Stein sends $891M Helene proposal to lawmakers The General Assembly allocated $450 million in the second part of its 2025 disaster relief bill By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein submitted a second request to lawmakers for an additional $891 million in funding for Hurri-
cane Helene recovery efforts. “Western North Carolina is coming back strong, but there is much more work to do,” said Stein in a press release. “I urge the General Assembly to pass a second round of funding so that the rebuilding and recovery efforts can continue as quickly and effectively as possible.” Hurricane Helene hit the See HELENE, page A2
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina House has released its proposed state budget for the 2025-27 biennium totaling more than $65.91 billion, roughly the same overall total as the Senate’s budget. “It’s a budget that we’re proud of and invests in working families in North Carolina,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) said during a press conference on Tuesday. The House has branded its version of the budget “Committed to Carolina.” Last Thursday, the House passed its version of the budget by a vote of 86-20 with 25 Democrats voting to pass it, including Minority Leader Rep. Robert Reives (D-Cha-
State Health Plan changes address $507M shortfall “I know the changes to benefits the board made today are hard, but I’m confident that these changes … will place the Plan on a stronger financial path moving forward.” State Treasurer Brad Briner
The changes were voted on during the May meeting By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Health Plan’s Board of Trustees voted at its May meeting to make changes to the plan to address a $507 million budget shortfall. The State Health Plan (SHP) has approximately 750,000 members who have not had premium or benefit adjustments over the past seven years. That freeze is part of the plan’s cash deficit issue, which led the board to consider an average premium increase of $30.
“I know the changes to benefits the board made today are hard, but I’m confident that these changes, coupled with new provider opportunities we’re working on, will place the Plan on a stronger financial path moving forward,” N.C. State Treasurer Brad Briner, who chairs the board., said in a press release. “We’re evolving from what we’ve learned and focusing on what works: trusted provider relationships, financial predictability and meaningful support for our members’ health.” The May 2025 fact sheet released by the SHP through Briner’s office said, “The goal is slow and steady changes over time to increase the See PLAN, page A3
tham). Passage of the bill followed votes on 46 separate amendments, of which only eight passed. The Senate will likely reject some of the changes, triggering a conference committee to reconcile issues. The House budget includes $32.59 billion for fiscal year 2025-26 and $33.32 billion for fiscal year 2026-27. The Senate version would spend $32.6 billion in year one and $33.3 billion in year two. Gov. Josh Stein’s budget proposal calls for $68 billion over the biennium. Per House appropriations leaders, the budget keeps the growth of net general fund expenditures to 5% over the biennium. Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), House Appropriations senior chairman, told reporters House leaders made “a conscious effort” of “listening to what folks told us.” “We’ve taken and made an overt effort at listening to people and incorporating in this See BUDGET, page A3