CONCORD, N.C. – Students gave a warm welcome to Governor Josh Stein in Concord Wednesday. Stein delivered school supplies to W.M. Irvin Elementary School. The visit is part of the annual Governor’s School Supply Drive, which collected more than 110,000 items statewide. Stein praised local tea chers, and noted a recent report shows North Carolina educators spend the second-most out of pocket in the country. The governor also highlighted new teacher pay raises in the state budget, but insisted more investment is needed. Stein says, “Right now, there are pre-program tax cuts in our state budget that are gonna give tax breaks to corporate shareholders, the vast majority of whom do not live in North Carolina, to the tune of billions of dollars. So we could either give money to corporate shareholders and wealthy folks who don’t live in the state, or we can invest in our schools and our teachers. To me, the choice is just crystal clear. We need to put our dollars where it matters, which is in their (students’) future.” Stein is pushing for a future $300 stipend for all public school teachers to cover supplies. ...read more read less