RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Josh Stein pressed Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly on Wednesday to work across the aisle in the next session, saying Tuesday’s election left voters expecting lower living costs, public safety and a finished state budget.
Speaking outside the Governor’s Mansion a day after Democrats took the state House for the first time since 2010 and nearly flipped the Senate, Stein said housing, electricity and health care costs remain too high for many families and that lawmakers should treat those bills as the top shared work.
Stein told reporters he had expected Democrats to have a strong night and a better than even chance of winning the House, but he said he did not expect the party to reach as many as 71 or 72 seats. Unofficial returns showed Democrats flipping at least 16 House seats.
For the January long session, he put a finished budget, workforce and economic-development investments, and more Hurricane Helene recovery money for western North Carolina at the top of his list, along with school, public-safety and affordability bills. Stein said Washington has already sent about $10 billion to $11 billion for Helene relief while storm damage ran near $60 billion, and he wants Congress to approve more money before year’s end.
Stein said he plans to sit down with Speaker-elect Robert Reives of Chatham County, Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch and whoever leads the Senate, arguing both parties have already found common ground on Medicaid funding, Helene recovery bills, economic development deals and teacher and law-enforcement pay raises.
He also said a lame-duck return before January is not necessary after voters chose new leaders, and that if outgoing Republicans reconvene they should skip power plays and stick to cost-of-living and safety work. Stein called the three constitutional amendments that passed Tuesday a con job sold without enough public explanation, and he said he supports an independent redistricting commission if legislators can agree.
On school vouchers, Stein said lawmakers should revisit sending Opportunity Scholarship dollars to higher-income families while North Carolina ranks last nationally in per-child public school spending, and he urged shifting scarce education money back toward public classrooms.
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