Today @NCCapitol (Aug. 18): Budget holding pattern continues

Gov. Pat McCrory will hold a signing ceremony, House committees will vet some bills but the real action is happening behind the scenes as House and Senate negotiators try to reach a budget deal.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Aug 18, 2015 — Updated 1:40 p.m. Aug 18, 2015

Mark Binker

RALEIGH, N.C. — Good morning and welcome to Today@NCCapitol for Tuesday, Aug. 18. Here's what's going on at the General Assembly and around state government.

BUDGET: The Legislative Building was largely quiet Monday as budget negotiations continued in private. Negotiators reported that they had not yet settled on a firm "bottom line" number to govern how much the 2015-16 budget would spend. State budget uncertainty is beginning to trickle down to local governments, including such school systems as Wake County, which is debating how and whether to provide driver's education this year{{/a}}.

BILL SIGNING: Gov. Pat McCrory will sign a bill at 11 a.m. that allows members of the North Carolina National Guard to carry weapons while on duty. The measure was passed in the wake of a recruiting office shooting in Chattanooga, Tenn., earlier this year.

ADVOCATES: The NAACP holds a news conference at 10 a.m. in the Legislative Building to highlight "America's Journey for Justice," a march from Alabama to Washington, D.C., highlighting a variety of issues.

EDUCATION: The House Education Committee will vet a bill that would instruct the Community College System and the Department of Public Instruction to create a program to teach remedial math and English to high school seniors if tests administered during their junior year show they might not be able to pass end-of-grade requirements. WRAL.com plans to carry this meeting live at 11 a.m. Check the Video Central box on the homepage.

HISTORIC PROPERTY: The House Judiciary II Committee will hear a number of bills at 1 p.m., including a measure that would limit the powers of local historic property commissions.

SENATE: The Senate meets at 2 p.m. It has several non-controversial bills on for concurrence motions.

HOUSE: The House meets at 3 p.m. The chamber has three bills on its calendar, including a measure making a variety of changes to how the state's court system works. WRAL.com plans to carry the session live online. Check the Video Central box on the homepage.

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