NCASA is proud to provide non-partisan advocacy to represent your interests and promote strong public schools in the halls of the North Carolina General Assembly and before the Governor’s Office, State Board of Education, State Retirement System, State Health Plan, and other policy-making entities. We are your advocate, and your network, providing you direct access to the laws affecting your school right now.
While the biggest news at the state legislature last week was certainly the long-awaited passage of the 2023-2025 state budget package, which is set to become law on October 2 without the Governor’s signature, state lawmakers also sent a handful of other education-related bills to the Governor’s desk last week for final consideration.
After weeks of little activity at the state legislature, lawmakers on Wednesday successfully voted to override Governor Cooper’s vetoes of several bills, including a handful relating to K-12 education, which have now become law.
Senate lawmakers on Thursday voted down party lines to concur with the House on a controversial parental rights bill, in the legislation’s last step before being sent to the Governor for final consideration.
It became clear this week that lawmakers would not meet their initial goal of passing a state budget before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year, with many lawmakers now estimating a final budget package to be shared after July 24.
While many legislative leaders were likely working this week on state budget negotiations behind closed doors, lawmakers in the Senate discussed and approved two education proposals not included in current budget proposals — a bill that would change state requirements for principal licensure and a bill that would require students to complete a computer science course before graduating high school.
The North Carolina Senate approved its state budget proposal on Thursday in a 37-12 vote after hours of debate throughout the week on its many controversial aspects, including a proposal that would allocate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, commonly referred to as “private school vouchers.
This week was especially busy at the NC General Assembly, as lawmakers in both the House and Senate pushed a frenzy of bills forward ahead of Thursday’s May 4 bill crossover deadline, or the last day in which a policy bill can pass from its originating chamber and still be eligible to be heard in the other chamber. As a result of the impending deadline, several legislative committees, including the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee, held meetings on Monday, a day usually void of any substantive legislative work.
NC House Republicans held a press conference Wednesday to roll out their two-year state budget proposal in House Bill 259. The proposal, which is reflected in the Money Report and bill text outlining Special Provisions, then was reviewed by subject areas in Appropriations Subcommittees this morning before moving to the full Appropriations Committee, where it faced discussion and numerous proposed amendments this afternoon.
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt presented to members of the House K-12 Education Committee on Tuesday an update on her “Operation Polaris,” or her strategic vision for supporting public school students across the state.
The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) began its substantive work for the 2023 legislative session on Wednesday and legislators wasted no time filing bills to be considered.
With the 2023 NC legislative session officially underway, the NCASA Advocacy Team has prepared a list of legislator contact information by county, as well as a list of contact information for legislators serving on key education committees. Members are encouraged to use these resources to initiate conversations with the legislators that represent them, if they have not done so already, and share any relevant information with NCASA so we can better advocate on your behalf!
House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) released on Tuesday a list of House committees, chairs, and members for the 2023 legislative session, which officially began last week. In a statement, Speaker Moore wrote, “We have a strong group of committee chairs this session, and I am confident that they will continue to propel our state forward and to the top of the pack.
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