The North Carolina General Assembly returns to Raleigh this week for its short session with unfinished business, including passing the state budget and voting to override the governor’s veto of seven bills on issues like immigration, equity and diversity programs, gun ownership and taxes.
The short session begins on Tuesday, April 21 and could be extended beyond July in the midst of an electoral process that will possibly change the dynamics of the Republican-dominated Legislature, not only because of next November’s elections, but also because of the recent results of March’s primary elections.
Republican Senator Phil Berger, leader of the Senate and one of the most influential politicians in the state, lost his primary along with five other Republican legislators.
In addition, the three Democratic representatives who last year voted with the Republicans to override 8 of the 15 bills vetoes of Democratic Governor Josh Stein lost their primary election.
Such changes could directly influence key issues such as the state budget, where Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall have been unable to agree, and the veto override of 7 bills pending a vote.
PENDING VETO OVERRIDES
Among the 7 bills vetoed by Stein that are pending on the legislative calendar, SB153 stands out, which would require various state law enforcement agencies, including the Highway Patrol, to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify and detain undocumented immigrants.
This bill has already been voted on in the Senate, but the vote is missing in the House of Representatives where Republicans do not have a supermajority and need at least one Democrat to vote with them to override the governor’s veto.
That’s where the three Democrats who lost their primary elections can play a crucial role, notably Carla Cunningham (Mecklenburg), who last year helped Republicans sign into law another anti-immigrant legislation like HB318 that requires all sheriffs to cooperate with ICE.
In a radio interview earlier this month, Cunningham criticized Gov. Stein’s decision to endorse her election rival, Rev. Rodney Sadler, which she said was decisive for her primary defeat.
“Josh Stein’s endorsement of my opponent was never about immigration. It’s about power. It’s about telling us, ‘if you don’t do what we tell you to do, we’re going to put you off the plantation,'” Cunningham said, referring to her background as a descendant of slaves. “I’m not on it. I am free.”
The votes of Democrats Nasif Majeed (Mecklenburg) and Shelly Willingham (Edgecombe), who last year voted with Republicans to override other vetoes and now have even less incentive to be loyal to their party, may also be decisive.
Among the pending vetoes are three bills that have to do with banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state agencies and schools, and another would allow 18-year-olds to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
STATE BUDGET
Passage of the state budget will be the top priority during this short session, Hall said in a recent interview with WRAL. But to do that, leaders in both chambers need to reach an agreement on tax policy and raise salaries for teachers and state employees.
Berger and Hall are not agreed mainly over fiscal policy. While Republicans approved phasing out the income tax until it is eliminated by 2030, the House leader wants that reduction to be slower to allow the state to address other urgent needs and without jeopardizing the state’s financial stability.
North Carolina is the only state that does not have a complete budget approved in the country due to this situation.
Another issue to be defined in terms of the budget is the state Medicaid program that needs urgent additional state funding to continue operating.
The Republican majority only approved a mini-budget that includes $500 million for Medicaid, but the state needs an additional $319 million to cover the deficit due to cost overruns generated in part by new federal regulations passed in 2025.
Hall has said Medicaid cost overruns are unacceptable, and said the Legislature plans to pass legislation to increase oversight of the program and prevent fraud.
OTHER PRIORITIES
Another priority of this short session will be property taxes. Republicans want to limit them through a reforml that would give the Legislature the authority to set those tax rates, taking power away from local governments.
The House Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform has already approved a proposal for a constitutional amendment that, if approved by both chambers during this session, will appear on the ballot in the November elections.
