NC gov brings in teachers to build budget pressure

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is meeting with North Carolina public school teachers to try to build additional pressure upon Republicans to resolve the two-month budget stalemate to his liking.Cooper planned a roundtable discussion with teachers at the Executive Mansion on Tuesday. Most traditional public schools begin next week.There's no current state budget law in place because Cooper vetoed the GOP's spending plan in June.While he's largely emphasized the absence of Medicaid expansion in the Republican budget, Cooper also said he vetoed it because it contained small raises for teachers. He said his budget offer would more than double the average raises for teachers compared to the GOP proposal.Republican lawmakers say Cooper is extending the impasse because he's demanding Medicaid expansion before other negotiations begin.