There’s common ground between Gov. Cooper and Republicans on the NC budget. Really.

If you’re following the drama that has been the North Carolina budget battle during Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration, you already know what the so-called “sticking points” have been for the past few years: education spending, raises, taxes and health care.

But there’s more to it.

The Democratic governor wants to give teachers and other state employees higher raises and increase public K-12 education spending more than the Republican-led General Assembly does. Medicaid expansion and corporate tax cuts are two other key issues. Policy provisions are also a hurdle. But those aren’t the only items in the state budget. Cooper and Republicans actually agree on some things.

Where’s the common ground?

Where do Cooper and Republicans agree?

The governor said he thinks it’s fair to say that they already have agreement on the “vast majority” of the budget.

That includes broadband internet expansion, water and sewer infrastructure projects and construction projects. The need for high speed internet, especially in rural areas, was exacerbated in 2020 when thousands of students were in remote learning. Aging water and sewer systems impact people all over the state.

“We need to connect our state with high-speed internet access. And we need to expand water and sewer. And all these capital projects for our university and community colleges, and I could just go on and on of good things that are in this budget that I think are important and that we all support,” Cooper said.

Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincolnton Republican, head budget writer and chair of the Appropriations Committee, told The News & Observer that the internet is one area of common ground.

Saine said that Cooper wanted more funding to support digital literacy, and that Republicans are open to doing more.

Saine said that means providing a “conduit for catching kids — really everybody — up to speed becoming more of a digital citizen.” That also means funding programs that help the public access state government and use the internet to interact with state government, he said.

House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters last week that Republicans and Cooper both want to give state employees raises and bonuses, and the negotiations are just over the amount.

What happens if there’s no deal?

Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican rumored to be planning a run for Congress, said that he’s ready to move ahead with the legislature passing a budget if they can’t reach a deal with Cooper by this week. That means they would send him a budget bill to sign, veto or let become law without his signature. Republicans need a three-fifths supermajority in each chamber in order to override a veto, so they would need some Democrats to vote with them.

Berger has told reporters that if the hoped-for deal with Cooper doesn’t happen, he’s open to passing a series of piecemeal budget bills like lawmakers did in 2019.

Cooper said if they don’t reach a deal soon it will be because he believes “it is a bad budget, and I won’t sign it, but I’m continuing to be positive about it and as you can see, leaders in the legislature are continuing to be positive about it.”

Why it matters

When there isn’t a new comprehensive budget by the start of the fiscal year on July 1, no new money is spent. That means no raises for teachers, public school workers and other state employees as well as no new projects or programs.

What did I miss?

If a budget deal is reached and North Carolinians get a comprehensive budget signed into law, it won’t be the only bipartisan deal this year.

Democrats and Republicans have supported, and Cooper has signed into law, dozens of minor bills. They’ve reached deals on big things, too. That includes an energy bill and reopening schools for in-person education.

Cooper, Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger also worked together to land the latest Apple campus.

How can I be heard?

You can tell the state lawmakers who represent you what you think. While the leadership is just a few people, there are 170 state lawmakers in North Carolina — 50 senators and 120 representatives. Their office phone numbers and email addresses are listed on the General Assembly website, ncleg.gov.

For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at link.chtbl.com/underthedomenc or wherever you get your podcasts.