RALEIGH — It was anything but quiet Tuesday morning at the North Carolina General Assembly.

The House Finance Committee had planned to approve that body’s tax plan during an early morning meeting. A news conference was scheduled at 11 a.m. to unveil the House finance package.

The tax plan survived. But the day’s business was disturbed by yet another Moral Monday protest. 

The Senate’s budget for the fiscal year starting in July calls for $22.9 billion in General Fund spending and roughly $300 million in tax cuts.

The House proposal also would spend $22.9 billion, but the tax cuts are much more modest — roughly $122 million the first year.

Despite the differences, one of the Finance Committee chairmen signaled continuing collaboration between the two bodies.

Rep. John Szoka, R-Cumberland, said the goal of both tax plans was the same as it was when the Republicans took control of the General Assembly in 2011.

The focus remains fiscal responsibility: boosting reserve funds than now exceed $1.2 billion; cutting corporate and personal income taxes;, reducing corporate and personal income taxes; modernizing the tax code; and streamlining economic incentives so they are more targeted and transparent.

The House plan, outlined in a memo from the legislature’s Fiscal Research Division, increases the individual income tax standard deduction by $1,000 for married couples filing jointly, from $17,500 to $18,500. The Senate plan raises the amount on which no taxes are paid to $20,000. The House plan raises the deduction for single filers $500, from $8,750 to $9,250. The Senate plan raises the deduction to $10,000. The House plan increases the deduction for head of household filers by $800.

The changes would take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

The House plan also increases the cap on mortgage expense and property tax deductions for all taxpayers from $20,000 to $22,000, effective Jan. 1, 2019. The Senate proposal indexes the cap according to the filing status — $22,000 for married couples filing jointly, $16,500 for heads of household, and $11,000 for single filers or married couples filing separately.

The plan passed the committee, which adjourned around 10 a.m..

About that time, several dozen Moral Monday protesters descended on the Legislative Building and began to cause a ruckus.

Rev. William Barber, outgoing leader of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, led a gaggle of his followers around the halls of the legislature. Protesters carried signs and chanted, “Health care. Now! Health care. Now!”

“Expand. Medicaid. Now!”

Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, had reserved an entire quadrant of the legislative building for the 11 a.m. news conference.

Due to the protest, the conference was hastily rescheduled, and moved to the legislative press conference room — a smaller, guarded space.

Around 10:15 a.m., Carolina Journal received word from Dollar’s office the news conference was canceled.

Some security officials weren’t aware of the cancellation until 11 a.m.

Confusion also ruled during a separate 10:30 a.m. news conference.

Sen. Tamara Barringer, R-Wake, was scheduled to speak on behalf of House Bill 280, legislation to raise the juvenile age in North Carolina so that 16- and-17-year olds no longer are prosecuted as adults.

Two religious leaders, the Rev. Mark Creech of the Christian Action League and the Rev. Bruce Stanley of the Methodist Home for Children, were slotted to speak.

At 10:27 a.m., CJ was the only media outlet with a reporter in the room. All other outlets and cameras were busy following Barber and his protesters.

Just after 10:30 a.m., a handful of reporters broke away to attend Barringer’s press conference.

The shouts of demonstrators interfered with interviews after the conference concluded.

CJ left about 11:20 a.m.

A Facebook video later showed Barber and his group berating security officials who refused to allow the crowd to gather in the office of House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland.

As law enforcement detained Barber and members of his group, other protesters poured in to replace them. More than 30 were arrested and charged with trespassing.

“I’m going to jail to #SaveOurHealthcare. We shall not be moved!” Barber wrote in a tweet.

Chief House budget writer Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, said Tuesday afternoon most of the budget should be posted online around 9 p.m. Some public employee salary information will be worked out during a Wednesday meeting of the Appropriations Committee.

House leaders also insist the budget is on track for passage by the end of the week.

 

Editor’s Note: This is a corrected version of a story published earlier Tuesday.