More than 50 non-profit organizations and service providers have formed a people's coalition to pressure the Legislature against balancing the budget with service cuts alone.

The group called Together NC on Tuesday is urging lawmakers to reform tax laws and take other measures as they balance a $3 billion budget gap in the year starting in July. Together NC is a coalition of groups ranging from the United Way and AARP to advocates for children and teachers.

Rob Thompson of Covenant with North Carolina's Children says the coalition believes relying too much on budget cuts would have serious human consequences. He said one step should be forcing corporations to give a combined report of their entire taxable operations, instead of them shifting money to states where taxes are lowest.