Preview: 5 top issues to watch during North Carolina’s legislative short session

North Carolina’s legislators will soon be flooding into the state’s capital city for their short session, which will begin on April 24 and is projected to last through July.

During odd years, the General Assembly meets for a full regular session, whereas in even numbered years, they meet for a shorter session.

Although the budget has not yet been solidified and there are no set-in-stone orders of business, a spokesperson for Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Guilford, Rockingham) said the session will “primarily focus on making any necessary adjustments to the two-year state budget passed last year.”

They could also take up the issues of immigration, video lottery terminals and education. The jury is still out on whether any abortion-related legislation will make it to the floor this spring and summer.

Being that it is an election year, legislation may be affected, said House Democratic Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham, Randolph).

“I think the elections always affect what is done in the short session, unfortunately,” Reives said. “The needs of the people don’t change, but the needs of those who want to get elected do sometimes.”

Here’s a breakdown of what to look out for this session.

1. Education

Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland, Rutherford) said an increase in funding for the Opportunity Scholarship is likely to happen. This year, around 72,000 North Carolinians applied, a number the program was unable to fully fund. To bridge this gap, they would need about a $300 million increase.

Moore said he is unsure if the entirety of that request will be fulfilled, but that the number of applicants this year has shown the demand for it.

Some Democratic legislators are worried that increasing funding for private school vouchers will leave a teacher pay raise on the wayside. Moore disagreed, saying “I think there’s still money there to make sure we take care of our teachers.”

He also noted that an expansion of childcare funding is a priority.

Also on the education front, there is talk about defunding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. This would primarily be an issue at the university level.

“There’s no big push to immediately do something,” Moore said, hinting that this issue may take more time to flesh out.

More: The race for NC superintendent of public instruction is heating up. Meet the candidates.

More: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is on a mission to promote public schools. Here’s why

2. Immigration

Immigration has become a hot topic this election season with both Joe Biden and Donald Trump making trips to the border. And although North Carolina is not a border state, the General Assembly is looking at enforcing some new immigration-related legislation.

For example, House Bill 10, which has passed in the House and would require police officers to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), could make its way to the Senate this session.

Many Democratic legislators in the minority party expressed disappointment that immigration will take center stage this session.

3. Video Lottery Terminals

With a recent decrease in corporate taxes, Democratic legislators are concerned about the potential revenue gap that could erupt in the coming years.

“We’ve cut taxes the last several budgets, with plans on continuing to cut personal income taxes and then phasing out the corporate income tax by the end of the decade,” said Rep. Charles Smith (D-Cumberland). "What type of revenue are we going to be looking at moving forward when we don't have those federal dollars?”

Video lottery terminals could be a way to fill that gap.

But Moore insisted that legislation made about video lottery terminals, and similar things, should go through a normal committee process.

"The big complaint last year that folks had with the gaming legislation was the way it was just kind of being jammed in with not much discussion,” Moore said. “And frankly, I think those criticisms were fair. I didn’t like that process.”

4. Abortion

It's still unclear whether further abortion legislation will come up this spring and summer. Some say pushing for a tighter ban during an election year could be risky; others say the Republican party has the numbers to make it happen.

In May 2023, the General Assembly passed a 12-week abortion ban after bypassing the governor’s veto. Some Republicans hope to keep tightening the ban over time.

In remarks to journalists, Moore said it’s unlikely that this would happen in the short session.

5. Medical Marijuana

In the last session, Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), passed the Senate, but was not taken up by the House. It is unclear whether this bill will resurface, but Democratic Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) said she hopes it does.

More: North Carolina's 1st dispensary will open on 4/20, but only for medical cannabis

From the minority

Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe) said she wishes the General Assembly was taking up issues that affected constituents' day-to-day life. Similar sentiments were echoed by several other Democratic legislators.

"I would rather be talking about, you know, how to protect the environment,” Prather said. “I would rather be talking about how to get the word out to people and help people sign up for Medicaid expansion. I would rather be working with community col

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC General Assembly to take up immigration, opportunity scholarship