NC Republicans have a plan to cut taxes. Here’s what else they want to cut | Opinion
North Carolina Republicans have a math problem. They’re facing a looming budget deficit in upcoming fiscal years, a direct result of accumulated tax cuts that have drained the state of revenue.
Yet Republicans seem to be laser-focused on cutting taxes even further, based on what we learned when the Senate kicked off budget negotiations by introducing their budget proposal last week. Senate leader Phil Berger says that he doesn’t believe forecasts of a budget deficit, despite the fact that those forecasts were made by the legislature’s own staff, and insists new tax cuts and proposed cuts in federal spending won’t actually be bad news for North Carolina.
While the final budget will likely change over the course of negotiations, it at least offers preliminary insight into what Republicans may prioritize in this year’s spending plan. The priority? Cutting taxes — but also cutting a whole lot of other stuff along with it. Republican leaders were hesitant to discuss the details of those cuts publicly, but a look at the budget itself makes it evident what they are.
Here are some noteworthy cuts buried within the Senate’s 439-page spending plan:
Higher education cuts
The budget orders at least $33 million in cuts across the UNC System by uncovering programs that are “low-performing, redundant, failing to maximize the receipt of federal grant funds, or are otherwise in conflict with federal law, State law, the policies of the Board of Governors, or the vision and purpose of The University of North Carolina.” It does not say what programs it has in mind or whether any such programs exist at all.
It also establishes a “faculty realignment program” that would attempt to incentivize tenured professors to quit their jobs by offering them severance packages.
The budget also orders $57 million in cuts to the community college system, and eliminates a program designed to provide mentoring support to minority male students at state community colleges.
DOGE-like cuts
Republican lawmakers have a sneaky habit of using the state budget for much more than just funding. They frequently use it as a vehicle for policy changes, too, particularly ones that might not make it past the government’s desk if introduced on their own. This year is no different. Included in the budget is the language of a bill that has already passed the Senate, aimed at initiating a DOGE-style review of state government headed by State Auditor Dave Boliek. The budget allocates $6 million for the program, which would be dubbed the Division of Accountability, Value and Efficiency, or DAVE. GOP leaders have said the goal is to target “bloated bureaucracy.”
Also stipulated in the budget is the elimination of hundreds of vacant positions in state government — around 850 in total. Lawmakers said they focused on eliminating jobs that had been vacant for extended periods of time, but it’s unclear whether those vacancies were ones that were hindering state agencies, which have struggled under chronic staffing shortages in recent years. Some currently filled positions, particularly ones regarding environmental justice, science and employment discrimination, would be eliminated as well, WUNC reported.
Other cuts
The Senate budget includes other notable cuts, including:
Slashing nearly half of the funding that PBS North Carolina receives from the state.
Eliminating the Innocence Inquiry Commission, a state agency established in 2006 to investigate wrongful conviction claims. The model remains the only one of its kind in the United States and one of only three in the world, The News & Observer reported.
Shutting down the Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, which helps businesses owned by minorities, women and people with disabilities compete for state government contracts.
Senate Republicans insist they aren’t worried about the looming budget deficit, but their proposed cuts tell a different story. Sadly, they also reflect a desire to implement even more regressive tax cuts at the expense of state services and public education. The “savings” will largely go to wealthier folks who have already benefited from past cuts. But the cost will be felt by everyone else.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM with the headline "NC Republicans have a plan to cut taxes. Here’s what else they want to cut | Opinion."
