Senate Democrats say they aren’t breaking with Gov. Cooper on budget

With a potential vote on the governor’s state budget veto looming in the state Senate on Tuesday, none of the four Democratic senators who initially voted for the budget in June are planning to support an override of the veto.

That means Republicans likely won’t get the one vote they need to pass the budget over Gov. Roy Cooper’s objections if all senators are present. One of the four “yes” votes in June — Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham — has resigned to take another government position, and the other three told the NC Insider last week that they expect to stand with the governor.

“I’ll vote to sustain the governor’s veto,” said Sen. Ben Clark, D-Hoke. “I filed a bill to expand Medicaid in North Carolina; that is one of my top priorities and a priority of the governor as well. Until we sit down and negotiate that, I see no reason to vote to override the veto.”

Sen. Don Davis, D-Pitt, said that “my position, as of right now, would (be) sustaining the veto.” He said there’s still a need to negotiate on teacher pay, school construction and franchise tax cuts.

Sen. Toby Fitch, D-Wilson, had previously voiced uncertainty about how he’d vote, but last week said “I see no reason to change my position on the override. At this point in time, I would side with the governor.”

Senate leader Phil Berger hinted at plans for a January vote last month, saying in a news release that “Senate Democrats have a choice to make in January. ... It is entirely up to Senate Democrats whether we enact a new budget and provide teachers with pay raises or if we continue with the existing budget through 2020.”

Some Republicans had speculated that moderate Democrats might be more willing to vote against Cooper after the candidate filing period. They figured that legislators who don’t have to face a primary opponent could agree to break with their party’s leaders.

Ultimately no Democrats filed to challenge Davis, Clark or Fitch. But that was never a consideration, Fitch said. “It’s a matter of what I think is right and what I think is wrong,” he said.

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This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Senate Democrats say they aren’t breaking with Gov. Cooper on budget."