NC Legislative Update

By Cady Thomas

Activity Updates

Budget Process

On Thursday, Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger process was underway and they expect to meet to determine the final proposals from the Senior Chairs on Monday, June 20. They said it should be voted on by the week of June 27 and expect to adjourn the 2022 short session by July.

When asked about the budget, House Appropriations Chair Rep. Jason Saine confirmed head budget writers in the House finished their work Thursday morning.  He added “We’re in a good place. Nobody yelled at anybody.” Budget chairs will return on Tuesday to work with legislative staff to finalize the details hammered out by the corner offices on Monday.

The House and Senate have agreed to spend between $29.5 billion and $30 billion but have not discussed specifics. Both have mentioned they want to further cut taxes and give state employees pay raises. Medicaid is still being supported by the Senate and pushed by Governor Cooper but there is no clear answer to whether or not it will end up in the final budget deal.

CRMCA has been advocating for more funding for NC DOT and funding from new sources as well as additional funding for the Be Pro Be Proud program initiated last year.

Next Week’s Session

The House will reconvene on Monday, June 20 at 2pm, with recorded votes expected on Wednesday and Thursday.  The Senate will reconvene on Monday, June 20 at 4pm, with recorded votes announced for Tuesday.

Bills and Legislation

STEM Committee

Rep. Erin Paré announced the formation of The House Select Committee on Advancing Women in STEM, which the Speaker established. The Committee will study issues related to developing future generations of women leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The 12 members of the committee are:

  • Representative Erin Pare, Chair

  • Representative Donna White, Vice Chair

  • Representative Alison Dahle

  • Representative Jon Hardister

  • Representative Dean Arp

  • Representative Amos Quick

  • Representative Kristin Baker M.D.

  • Representative Diane Wheatley

  • Representative Hugh Blackwell

  • Representative Matthew Winslow

  • Representative John Bradford

  • Representative Shelly Willingham

Rep. Paré said, “Imagination, creativity, and curiosity are essential to innovation. Women who pursue careers in STEM not only bring greater diversity to the ideas and solutions in these fields; they innovate and pave the way for future generations of women to follow in their footsteps and drive progress even further.”

She continued, “As more tech companies flock to North Carolina, the need for workers in STEM has increased dramatically in our state. My hope is that this committee can find tangible ways to support the women who are interested in these fields and encourage more women to pursue STEM careers in the future.” said Rep. Erin Pare (R-Wake).

The Women in STEM Task Force will begin meeting after the legislative short session ends.

COVID

Numbers

Numbers as of June , 2022:

  • 2,823,979 total cases

  • 25,140 deaths

  • 775 people – 7 day average of those hospitalized

  • 72% of adult population fully vaccinated, 62% of total population fully vaccinated

Election News

Congressional District Redraw  The North Carolina General Assembly may meet after the November elections to redraw the state’s congressional districts. Speaker Tim Moore said he wants the winners of the 2020 elections to be able to draw the maps.  The current election will not be affected as the maps are set for this year.

Every Vote Counts

NC House District 115 was a close race, ultimately decided after a machine and then hand recount. Pratik Bhakta won the Republican primary, beating Sherry Higgins by 1 vote! He will now face Lindsey Prather in the general election in November.

Wake County Representative Martin Resigning

Effective July 8, Representative Grier Martin will resign from the seat he holds in the NC House to take a job in the Biden Administration at the Pentagon. An attorney and recently retired U.S. Army Reservist, he also served in the Afghan war as a field artillery officer and a judge advocate. Due to this he is also not running for reelection in November and the Wake County Democratic Party will pick a candidate to replace him on the ballot.