Raleigh, N.C. – According to news reports, Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue will not hold a public signing ceremony for the recently passed budget bill. She has apparently decided to sign the bill behind closed doors and without fanfare.

Traditionally, high profile bills including the state budget, are signed by the state’s governor at public ceremonies open to the media.  Governor Perdue has held such ceremonies for bills she wanted to highlight and celebrate including the smoking ban bill passed earlier this year.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) made the following statement:

“This budget was written by a few Democrats behind closed doors, so it’s appropriate that Governor Perdue will sign the budget behind closed doors – it is the way her party runs government.  This budget contains $990 million in job-destroying tax increases and slashes our children’s public education funding by $225 million.  By signing this budget, Governor Perdue breaks her promises not to raise taxes in the middle of a recession and her promises to protect public education. Even if the signing of this bill does not occur in public, its negative effects will still be felt by the public and by our public school students.”