North Carolina legislature opens a brief session as budget talks stall
The North Carolina General Assembly returned to work Tuesday for a short, low-activity session, with no votes planned and no budget agreement in sight. The House and Senate chambers were unusually empty, and lawmakers were told they wouldn’t need to travel to Raleigh this week. If this pattern holds, no major action will occur until late September at the earliest.
Since adjourning its July session, the legislature has announced a schedule of brief monthly sessions for the remainder of the year, most of which may come and go without votes. There are no immediate efforts to override Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes, and patience appears to be wearing thin as negotiators remain far from finalizing a budget for the fiscal year that began last month.
The delay means the current school year could start with little to no notable pay raises for teachers and most state employees, even as the State Health Plan is set to raise premiums for participants. Rep. Mike Schietzelt, a Republican from Wake County, was among a handful of lawmakers present at Tuesday’s no-vote session. He said he’s hearing from state employees and teachers in his district who want a budget and improved pay, but he stressed that he isn’t part of the ongoing budget talks.
“I’m not involved in the budget negotiations,” Schietzelt said. “We’re hopeful that leaders in both chambers reach some sort of agreement to move this process forward, but there isn’t much I can do from my seat back here in the back row.”
Key leaders were conspicuously absent from Raleigh this week, signaling that inter-chamber budget discussions aren’t advancing. Republicans in both chambers remain divided over how large pay raises should be, and whether to delay planned income tax cuts. Other items that had been on the table—eliminating vacant state jobs, funding a new children’s hospital, and increasing subsidies for childcare facilities—are currently on hold.
Democrats in the legislature have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to outline their critique, arguing that a Republican-controlled legislature, despite its near-supermajority, is delaying vital funding for schools, local governments, and working families.
During the last voting session in late July, lawmakers did approve a “mini-budget” to cover some urgent state-government expenses, including step-based pay increases for teachers and funding for school enrollment growth and Medicaid.
What this means going forward
– Progress on the budget hinges on renewed negotiations between House and Senate Republicans and Governor Stein’s administration.
– Key sticking points remain the size of teacher and state employee pay raises, the timing of income tax cuts, and the funding priorities such as education infrastructure and health care costs.
– A longer-term resolution may emerge as the legislature returns to Raleigh for September sessions and potentially revisits the issues with fresh proposals.
Summary: The North Carolina General Assembly started a brief session with no votes and no budget agreement in sight, continuing a pattern of slow progress on funding for schools, state workers, and health care costs, while Democrats press for action and Republicans seek compromise on pay raises and tax policy.
Additional note: If you’re covering this topic, consider focusing on how the delayed budget affects local municipalities, school districts planning for the new year, and state employee contract talks, as those impacts tend to resonate with readers in all regions.