Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee announced their budget proposals Wednesday morning, citing their commitment to promoting economic growth, education, and funding “critical services” for North Carolina’s most vulnerable citizens and using tax increases to fund the programs.

Sen. Linda Garrou, D-Winston-Salem, touted the Senate proposal as a “balanced approach, not just the Band-Aid” that had been used to patch past fiscal problems.

The proposals included increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco, cuts in Medicaid and teachers’ aides, diversions from the health and tobacco trust funds as well as the federal bailout money to plug the budget shortfall. It also extends the half-cent sales tax increase, which was scheduled to sunset June 30. It does not include a proposal to introduce a state lottery that many pundits predicted.

Committee hearings began Monday afternoon. Representatives from state agencies, from the mammoth Department of Public Instruction to the tiny Bladen County Hospital, gathered in Raleigh to ask the committee for additional funds at best, no budget cuts at worst.

Monday’s scheduled speakers represented local education agencies, DPI, and the community college system. All cited the last year’s budget cuts and pleaded for the Senate to raise revenue in order to maintain their current budgets.

The committee did not expect the 70 members of Citizens for a Sound Economy who attended the meeting and spoke out against higher taxes and the lottery. “I think we caught them off guard, which is exactly what we wanted to do,” said CSE’s Rheta Burton.

Five members of CSE were able to speak at the hearing, although many more had signed up. Committee chairmen ended their remarks after the CSE speakers voiced their concern about rising taxes and North Carolina’s floundering economy.

Will Towne, an Orange County member of CSE, compared his habits with those of Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, who represents his district. He said they both recycle, compost, and conserve. But Towne said he does it to save money while Kinnaird does it to save the world.

He urged senators to recycle, conserve, and compost, but not in conventional ways. He asked them to “recycle the 2002 budget, to see if we can get along with the same amount of money this year. Conserve jobs by reducing taxes. And compost the budget in favor of zero-based budgeting.”

Ashley is an editorial intern at Carolina Journal.