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Follow along LIVE as Governor Cooper announces his recommended budget for 2019-2021. 
"If we set the right priorities, we can value our teachers, build schools for the future and expand Medicaid, all with no new taxes on North Carolina’s people." - Gov. Cooper.
"My budget calls for a 9.1 percent average teacher pay raise over the next two years. This would get us to best in the Southeast in four years. And it would pay our principals more."
Lifting respect for educators attracts more of our brightest students to careers in teaching. The Teaching Fellows program—which pays college tuition for smart students who agree to teach for at least four years in a North Carolina classroom—does just that.
"I recommend expanding it to more colleges and more subjects." - Gov. Cooper.
"The time is now to ask voters to pass a statewide education bond. If voters approve, 2 billion dollars will go to K through 12 school construction, 500 million dollars each to universities and community colleges." - Gov. Cooper.
"My proposal, called Invest NC, would build schools across the state with no county getting less than 10 million dollars." - Gov. Cooper.
"Another area of bold transformation has to be the way we encourage high school graduates to find their place in the workforce—whether by attending college or by gaining a trade skill or credential." - Gov. Cooper.
"We have a new economic strategy targeted to small towns and rural communities with big ideas. This initiative is called RISE, or Rural Investments Strengthening Economies." - Gov. Cooper
"It’s a competitive grants program that would revitalize downtowns, fix water systems, expand and improve buildings and attract jobs and businesses to our communities and towns." - Gov. Cooper
"My budget would fund a Broadband Infrastructure Plan to encourage private providers to expand Internet access to underserved areas." - Gov. Cooper.
"37 states have already expanded Medicaid. The time is now for us to do it the North Carolina way." - Gov. Cooper.
"Overall, this budget moves North Carolina forward without raising taxes on people. It includes much needed and visionary investments in our schools and our communities." - Gov. Cooper.
