The House passed its version of the state budget on Thursday with little fanfare. The proposal remained largely unchanged from last week's announcement.

Highlights from the House budget proposal include:

• State employee pay raises of 4.25 percent in 2023 and 3.25 percent in 2024 for a total of 7.5 percent.
• Additional 1 percent raises for some employees from a labor market reserve.
• School bus drivers get an additional 2 percent on top of the 7.5 percent.
• For State Highway Patrol employees, raises of 11 percent over the two years.
• A 1 percent true COLA in each year for retirees for a total of 2 percent over the biennium.

The budget debate now moves to the Senate. SEANC will continue to press senators on the need to make a meaningful investment in the workforce at a time when high vacancy rates are plaguing state government.

The overall vacancy rate in state government is more than 23 percent. North Carolinians are receiving nearly 25 percent fewer state services because there’s less and less appeal to working in public service. The first-year employee turnover rate is 37 percent, and the House budget does not recognize the crisis at hand.

The General Assembly will be on Spring break next week, and business is expected to resume on April 18.

Senate Bill 87, which would eliminate payroll deduction of dues and products for state employees, and Senate Bill 254, which would open up information regarding personnel actions in an employee's personnel file, remain in the Senate Rules Committee and have yet to be calendared for a hearing.