The North Carolina General Assembly is underway with its short session. Lawmakers are focused on a number of issues as they get to work with a relatively small amount of time to address them.
Perhaps no issue looms larger than the lack of a state budget. North Carolina remains the only state in the union without one, and the state is still operating under a 2023 spending plan. Gov. Josh Stein has renewed his push for a budget at the start of the session, and there is hope lawmakers could act soon, in part because Senate leader Phil Berger lost his Republican primary in March and is likely to leave office at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, there are a number of issues lawmakers have begun to focus on. Those include Medicaid funding, with the GOP goal of cutting “waste, fraud, and abuse.” There’s also an ongoing battle between state lawmakers and local leaders over a potential property tax cap.
All that and more as lawmakers kick off a new legislative session on Jones Street.
GUESTS:
Laura Leslie, reporter at NC Newsline
Sarah Michels, staff writer for Carolina Public Press
Adam Wagner, editor & reporter with the NC Newsroom
