With still no agreement between the state House and Senate on a state budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year that began on July 1, the House and Senate have come to an agreement to grant another continuing resolution – this one until until August 31. 
State House and Senate lawmakers voted Wednesday to give themselves a second budget deadline extension, this time till Aug. 31.
There was no debate over the extension in the House, where Senior Budget Chairman Rep, Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, expressed optimism that that would be enough time.
“We are extending out a couple more weeks in order for our budget conferees to continue to work on their project – the process – and hopefully get to a successful conclusion,” Dollar said.
The budget year started July 1, but lawmakers agreed to a 45-day extension in late June, giving them until midnight Friday to reach a budget deal.
Contentious issues like Medicaid reform and various economic incentives have been stripped by the Senate from the budget into separate bills, but the two chambers still differ on the total amount to spend, with the House desiring to spend about half a billion more than the Senate.
One common concern about the budget delay brought up by legislators is the “instability” foisted upon school districts across the state being forced to prepare for school without a school budget in place. But Wake County schools operating on a year round calendar began the new school year on July 7 – without a state budget in place.
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