North Carolina lawmakers reconvene, may look at budget and medical marijuana ahead of elections

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina General Assembly began its annual work session Wednesday with a little extra money to spend and several key elections coming up this fall.

Following their landmark 2023 session that expanded Medicaid, restricted abortion, broadened gun rights, swelled private-school vouchers and weakened the governor, Republicans leading the House and Senate are talking about the traditionally "short" session to be just that - aiming to finish by early summer.

"We dealt with a lot of weighty issues," House Speaker Tim Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, told reporters recently. "Are there still some things left to be done? Yes, we're going to deal with those."

With all 170 legislative seats up for reelection in November and Republicans who approved last year's agenda holding the narrowest of veto-proof majorities, party leaders will be careful to advance measures that won't sway public opinion against their candidates in key districts.

But there are still several interesting topics that are gaining traction.

"We certainly like to deal with not just CBD, but medical marijuana and maybe there is a way we can work something out on that," Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters on Wednesday.

CBD and new hemp regulations - and medical marijuana - are just two of the high-interest measures that could be taken up by state lawmakers in this year's short legislative session. According to Berger, so is the possible return of digital gambling machines - also known as sweepstakes machines, or "video poker".

"I think more and more people are coming to that position. We'll see whether or not it's enough for us to do something in the short session," he said.

Also on the radar is new legislation requiring local law enforcement to work with ICE in helping apprehend people who they believe came into the country illegally - and are on the run.

"In order to enhance public safety for the people of North Carolina, requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE is something that should be a priority for us," Berger said.

Typically, the even-year short legislative sessions revolve mostly around budget tweaks - a product of upcoming elections, and in this year's case, razor-thin supermajorities for the GOP in both chambers.

"Six months from now, people are going to the polls and they don't the legislators don't want the last thing on to voters mind to be something that would create controversy or they may be opposed to," said Dr. David McLennan, political science professor at Meredith College in Raleigh.

Still, Berger says he won't let a major election cycle take control of conversation on the floor.

"I think the more important thing is, is that the right policy for us to adopt at this time as opposed to trying to map out what might happen as a result of the upcoming elections," he said.

Gov. Cooper's last year

Barred by term limits from running for reelection, Cooper offered his last budget recommendation as governor before the House and Senate gaveled in their daily floor meetings at midday, the first time most legislators were together in Raleigh since October. That was when the GOP wrapped up a landmark session that restricted abortion, expanded gun rights and Medicaid and eliminated income limits on families who can receive scholarships for K-12 children to attend private schools.

Cooper's budget would spend $3.6 billion more for the fiscal year starting July 1 than the $30.9 billion already slated for the two-year state budget enacted last fall. A new revenue forecast estimates that an additional $1.4 billion will be at the state government's disposal through mid-2025 than what was anticipated, giving elected officials funds to address other needs.

The governor's budget seeks to halt the upcoming sharp expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Cooper said Republicans were "trying to choke the life out of public schools" through the program and tax policies, "then accuse them of failing while they gasp for breath."

Cooper also wants to keep the highest wage-earners from benefitting fully from upcoming individual tax cuts by forcing them to keep paying the current 4.5% rate on income above $200,000 for married couples filing jointly, for example. And he wants the corporate income tax to stay at 2.5%, instead of falling to 2.3% next year and reaching zero in 2030.

Republicans "can choose desperately needed investments to educate our children and our workforce, along with tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses," Cooper said. "Or they can choose tax giveaways for corporations and the wealthy, and keep robbing taxpayer money from public schools to fund private-school vouchers. That's the billion-dollar choice."

The proposal now heads to lawmakers who will develop their own budget-adjustment bill, likely first the House and then the Senate. The two chambers then will work out a compromise to present to Cooper.

With Republicans holding narrow veto-proof majorities in both chambers, they can override Cooper if they stay united. So there's less incentive to work with the governor.

GOP leaders have said they plan no significant changes to their already-enacted tax reduction plans, which they attribute to helping create a strong economy.

Republicans also sound ready to locate more money for Opportunity Scholarships so that more qualified applicants this fall can receive funds that they say are helping more students succeed. A massive increase in applications means the program could need another $300 million, House Speaker Tim Moore has said.

Otherwise, Senate leader Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican, said Wednesday that he expected to consider budget adjustments that account for inflation and population growth. Cooper's proposal is nearly 12% higher than what the second-year of the enacted budget envisions.

Cooper's plan "is always to spend more, tax more," Berger told reporters. "I can just tell you that we do not intend to go down that path."

The tax and vouchers changes would also help retain more revenues to help with K-12, preschool and child care needs, Cooper said. His proposal would raise teacher pay on average by 8.5% with $1,500 bonuses, compared with 2.8% average raises under the current budget. And he wants to spend $650 million in part to help child care centers threatened by closure with an upcoming loss of federal COVID-19 dollars and raise the state's portion to pay for government-funded pre-K.

Still, Berger and Rep. Jason Saine, a senior budget-writer, said they anticipate that some of Cooper's spending proposals will get support from Republicans.

"I think there's always room to meet somewhere in the middle," said Saine, a Lincoln County Republican. "We're certainly going to work hard to try to get something that that everyone can agree on and then get out of town." Lawmakers are looking to adjourn in the early summer ahead of fall elections when all 170 General Assembly seats are on the ballot.

Other nonbudget legislation likely to advance during the session includes a House bill that would force sheriffs to assist federal agents in picking up jail inmates they believe are in the country illegally. The Senate also wants the House to consider its measure legalizing and regulating medical marijuana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.