HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper wants legislators to set aside tens of millions of dollars for public school and college building safety improvements and millions more for school-based counselors, psychologists and police officers.
Cooper announced Thursday at an Orange County high school what he will include in his state budget proposal for school safety and youth mental health services. Those areas have gained attention since 17 people died in a Florida school shooting in February.
The General Assembly returns next month to adjust the second year of the current two-year spending plan. Republican leaders are debating their own safety improvements in study committees, with hiring more officers and psychologists getting attention.
The Democratic governor previously urged lawmakers to pass more restrictive gun laws. GOP legislators are unlikely to do so.
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