Short Session Begins April 21

The North Carolina General Assembly returns for “short session” next week with hopeful plans to pass a long-awaited budget. Time is of the essence as members want to get back to their legislative districts in order to campaign before the November election.  Republican majorities in both the House and Senate are at stake during a Trump, November mid-term, when traditionally the president’s party suffers losses that trickle down to the federal and state levels.

The Bone of Contention – Continued Tax Reform

One exception to the rush is Senator Phil Berger, who was narrowly defeated in his primary after serving as President Pro Tem of the Senate since 2011. Free of a November election, Berger may not feel the same sense of urgency in reaching a compromise budget with the House.

A major bone of contention between the House and Senate has been Berger’s legacy of continued tax reform that has lowered personal and corporate tax rates and positioned NC to the number one place to do business for several years running.  The House would like to slow further reductions and adapt their timing to potential economic headwinds, wherein the Senate believes the triggers currently in law are appropriate and supported by the state’s continued robust, tax revenue collections.

The personal, income tax rate is scheduled to fall from 3.99% in 2026 to 3.49% in 2027 if revenue exceeds $33M. NC’s corporate tax rate went from 2.25% in 2025 to 2.00% for 2026. Current schedules have the corporate tax rate reducing to 0% by 2030.

Transportation Committee Meetings

The NCGA’s various transportation committees have continued to meet in the “interim” (between long and short sessions) to discuss needed funding.  During this break between sessions, numerous Senate and House transportation committees have discussed potential changes to the STIP (Strategic Transportation Investments Prioritization). This week sees the House Select Committee on North Carolina’s Transportation Future.  Set for the day after the publication of this newsletter, we will provide an update to CRMCA staff for distribution.

Legislative Reception – April 28, 2026

Your NC team is excited to share that our effort into galvanizing industry colleagues to help CRMCA host a legislative reception in Raleigh on April 28^th at 5:30 has been successful.  Invitations were hand-delivered to legislative offices in early April and a number of legislators are slated to attend, including chairs of the various transportation committees at the NCGA.  Martin Marietta graciously agreed to allow us to use their headquarters for the reception.

This will be a valuable opportunity to speak with legislators directly about transportation infrastructure and critical funding that is needed. We are looking forward to robust attendance by CRMCA members and making this an annual event.  Please RSVP if you have not already done so to Susan Vick (919) 618-3713.