Unemployment overhaul nearly at McCrory's desk

Gov. Pat McCrory appears ready to turn into law a bill that seeks to repay North Carolina's $2.5 billion debt to the federal government for unemployment claims.

The bill soon will be on McCrory's desk because the Senate appeared poised to give the unemployment insurance overhaul final legislative approval Wednesday. The chamber gave tentative approval Tuesday to the measure, which uses cuts to jobless benefits and higher business taxes to eliminate the debt as soon as 2015.

McCrory told attendees at a Raleigh conference he plans to pay off the state's "credit card" to Washington but says it will require sacrifice from both businesses and workers.

Senate Democrats opposed to the bill say the sacrifice is disproportionately placed upon workers.

The House approved the bill last week.