Notable Activity
Legislators return to Raleigh next week to address a few topics. With no word of a budget compromise ready for a vote, it is increasingly likely they will not remain long, opting to pass what they can, then return home while leaders continue working on budget and policy compromises between the House and Senate. Here are a few things on the radar:
Veto Overrides
Governor Stein has vetoed 14 bills to date, seven Senate bills and seven House bills, and the Republican majorities will be interested in overriding at least some of them to advance their legislation to become state law. To do so, the Senate will need perfect attendance and a uniform vote from the Republicans, while the House will need perfect attendance, a party-line vote from the Republicans, and at least one Democrat voting against the governor. Both majority and minority party leaders will be closely counting their members to see whether they can pass (or block) the override votes.
Hurricane Recovery
The Hurricane Response and Recovery Subcommittee of the Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations will meet on Wednesday, July 30, where conversations are expected to continue on Helene recovery and additional relief needs. While legislators have said they are interested in additional natural disaster relief and recovery funding, what form that will take has yet to be decided.
Tax Credits for School Choice Vouchers
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger indicated that he would introduce legislation directing the state to opt in to a provision in federal House Resolution 1 that grants tax credits to individuals who donate to nonprofits offering scholarships to students outside of public schools. That legislation may be filed next week, depending on the Senate’s workload.
State Budget
The House and Senate still have not agreed to compromise language for a biennial state budget. Based on comments from numerous committee and appropriations chairs, it does not appear that one will be presented next week. Complicating an already tricky negotiation is the impact of provisions of federal House Resolution 1, which would require the state to allocate large sums of money to implement work requirements for Medicaid expansion and SNAP benefits, plus an increased state share of SNAP benefits that were previously covered by the federal government. State leaders are likely waiting for more information on those costs before deciding whether to address them in this year’s budget or not.