Gov. Beverly Perdue is making louder the chorus of those who want the House to pass a North Carolina state government budget that includes new taxes to balance it.
    
Perdue told House members Monday to use what she called a "combination of spending reductions and new revenue" in the budget they could pass later this week.
     
House Democrats have yet to reach consensus on a tax plan that could ease some of what social justice advocates call draconian cuts. They scheduled a caucus meeting later Monday.
     
Democratic leaders have suggested they would move forward with the budget's passage even without a tax plan. The House Appropriations Committee scheduled a Tuesday morning meeting to debate the budget proposal designed to close a more than $4 billion budget gap.