Weekly Recap Pt. 2: Catch up on the news you missed from 4/2-4/8
North Carolina Rep. Tricia Cotham gave Republicans a supermajority by switching parties, the House approved its budget plan and Gov. Roy Cooper faces threats to his appointment powers.
North Carolina decided to have such a wild political week that I had to break up this week’s recap into two parts. If you’d like to learn more about Rep. Tricia Cotham’s decision to switch parties, the aftermath of that choice and my efforts to get every swing Democrat to answer whether they’ll remain in the party, you can read Part 1 here.
All other major non-Cotham news is available in this alert. Let’s get into it…
💰House passes budget plan
Nine Democrats (excluding Cotham) voted this week in support of a Republican-led budget proposal that calls for sweeping changes to state policy, substantial raises for educators and state workers and minor tax cuts for individuals.
The Senate is expected to release a plan of its own, and the House and Senate will be tasked with working out their differences to produce a final budget. Cooper and legislative Democrats have released budget proposals of their own, though they are not likely to be seriously considered in the two chambers, where Republicans now have veto-proof control of each.
Another hurdle for Democrats: A recently-signed Medicaid expansion is contingent on the enactment of a new state budget, so Republicans are likely to stuff policy objectives into the budget that may otherwise lack the support needed to become law if it were passed as a standalone bill.
Last week, I broke down key highlights from the House budget plan. Here are a few of the major toplines:
10.2% average pay raise for teachers and 7.5% across-the-board salary increase for state government workers over the biennium
Personal income tax rate for Tax Year 2024 drops to 4.5%, a year ahead of schedule
No state funds allowed to go to performing abortions, except in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. Women can be provided medical care if they experience a spontaneous miscarriage
$22.5 million to two anti-abortion groups (Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship and Human Coalition)
Prohibits COVID-19 vaccine requirements at K-12 schools, community colleges and UNC schools. State agencies, cities, counties and public health agencies are also also barred from mandating vaccination as an employment requirement
N.C. Supreme Court justices and state Court of Appeals judges allowed to serve until they are 76. The state currently has a mandatory retirement age of 72 years. This increase would let GOP Chief Justice Paul Newby serve out the remainder of his term and put Republicans could be in a better position of maintaining control of the bench beyond 2028
Prohibits state from becoming a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which works to clean voter rolls
Prevents elections boards from accepting private monetary donations. In 2020, some groups provided resources to states grappling with a surge in mail-in voting and a need for more pens at individual precincts to minimize COVID-19 infection risk
Prohibits state from requiring that public utilities participate in carbon offset initiatives (cap and trade)
Requires K-12 schools to post lesson plans and allows for parents to request certain materials be removed
Democratic Reps. Kelly Alexander, Cecil Brockman, Carla Cunningham, Allison Dahle, Joe John, Nasif Majeed, Garland Pierce, Shelly Willingham and Michael Wray supported the budget along with all Republicans present, including Cotham.
Senate votes to strip Cooper appointment powers
North Carolina’s GOP-led Senate on Thursday voted along party lines to limit Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s appointment authority on nine commissions: The Utilities Commission, Economic Investment Committee, Environmental Management Commission, Commission for Public Health, Board of Transportation, Coastal Resources Commission, Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Railroad Board of Directors and UNC Health Care Board of Directors.
Under Senate Bill 512, the governor would be able to make 42 of the 66 appointments currently allowed. Twenty-two individuals across the nine commissions would be nominated by a different authority (largely the Republican-controlled legislature). The state’s Utilities Commission would drop from seven members to five.
Republicans argue the bill will bring much-needed diversity of thought onto boards compromised of unelected political appointees. Democrats see it as a GOP power grab to change policies they dislike.
Democrats also question the bill’s constitutionality, noting that a 2016 state Supreme Court ruling found that lawmakers’ efforts to control a majority of the members of the Coal Ash Commission, Oil & Gas Commission and Mining Commission relative to the governor violated the separation of powers clause.
🏫Bill changing deaf and blind schools oversight becomes law
A measure changing oversight of deaf and blind schools became law on Monday without Cooper’s signature.
A 2022 bill would’ve allowed Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and GOP Senate leader Phil Berger to each make two board appointments and Cooper to make one. Despite passing with near universal support, the governor vetoed the measure, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Under House Bill 11, this year’s measure that Cooper allowed to become law, Moore and Berger both get two picks. Cooper, however, doesn’t get to make any appointments. Instead, the State Board of Education will choose the fifth member for every deaf and blind school in the state.
🗳️House committee votes to limit mail-in ballot collection period
North Carolina Republicans on Tuesday advanced a bill that would prevent mail-in votes from being accepted three days after the election.
Under House Bill 304, absentee ballots would need to be received by county elections officials by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that the measure would result in thousands of voters being disenfranchised.
The Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform sent the measure to the chamber’s Rules Committee with a vote split along party lines.
House OK’s bill to provide suicide prevention resources to kids
With universal support, North Carolina House lawmakers on Tuesday sent a bill to the Senate aimed at preventing suicide among K-12 students.
Under the bipartisan House Bill 253, or the “Prevent Students From Harm Act,” public schools would be required to provide age-appropriate information and resources on prevention on suicide to students starting in the next academic year.
🏊♀️Republicans introduce measure preventing transgender girls from competing on female youth sports teams
GOP lawmakers on Wednesday introduced bills in the North Carolina House and Senate to prohibit transgender females from competing on women’s youth sports teams.
House Bill 574 and Senate Bill 631, which are dubbed as the “Fairness in Women's Sports Act,” are prompting outcry from LGBTQ groups who see the measure as unnecessary and harmful to a small and vulnerable group of children.
Proponents see the bill as a way to ensure girls are given the ability to fairly compete.
There only about 15 transgender student-athletes participating in high school sports.
What to watch this week
I may have a couple alerts during the week, but it should be a lot quieter of a week in North Carolina politics as lawmakers are on Spring Recess.
📖5 essential reads
NC Democrat expected to change parties (Lucille Sherman // Axios)
Governor Cooper calls for accountability in Canton (Lilly Knoepp // Blue Ridge Public Radio)
Atrium and Novant get millions in property tax breaks (Michelle Crouch // The Charlotte Ledger)
Governor’s chief of staff rebuts testimony, cites discrimination claims against SBI (Dan Kane // Raleigh News & Observer)
'A train that's left the station': NC House approves $4 million in funding for School of Civic Life (Abby Pender // The Daily Tar Heel)
Next week’s newsletters
Thank you all for subscribing to Anderson Alerts! If there isn’t much news next week due to Spring Recess, there may not be a weekly recap. Hopefully today’s two-part newsletter more than makes up for that.
I’m planning on having a couple alerts go out next week, which will be available to all paid members.