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House Budget Passes With Bipartisan Support

Includes historic investments in infrastructure, capital projects, education, $2 billion in tax cuts, and more

 
The House budget passed its third and final reading in a bipartisan vote Thursday afternoon, shining a spotlight on infrastructure, growth, and innovative projects to propel the state forward.
 
The House budget that was approved includes historic funding for infrastructure, capital projects, education, and more.
 
Among other things, the House budget invests:
 
  • $2 billion in tax cuts over the next two years
  • $5.8 billion in capital projects and infrastructure
  • Over $1 billion in broadband expansion
  • 5.5% teacher raises
  • 2.5% state employee raises
  • $465 million in disaster-related programs
  • $500 million for small business grants for COVID recovery
  • $2.8 billion in our savings reserve
 
The House budget also:
 

  • Restores Master’s pay supplement for teachers

  • Provides teachers with 8 weeks of paid parental leave

  • Eliminates requirement for teachers to pay for substitutes when using leave

  • Makes unemployment benefits nontaxable income

  • Invests in mental health facilities

House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Historic investments in infrastructure, capital projects, education, and mental health are just a few of the great things that make this budget the right way forward for North Carolina.”
 
He continued, “We have a budget that truly addresses the needs of all North Carolinians, many of which have been discussed for years by both parties. Now, thanks to the tight fiscal management we have historically voted for in this chamber, our state’s surplus allows us to invest in the right projects that propel our state forward. I look forward to negotiating with the Senate and Governor Cooper to come up with a final product that does the greatest amount of good for all North Carolinians.”
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House Unanimously Passes Bipartisan Bill to End Child Marriage

Today the North Carolina House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that ends child marriage in our state. The bill passed unanimously.
 
Dr. Kristin Baker (R-Cabarrus) and Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons (D-Guilford) are both sponsors of House Bill 41 and made the following statements about its passage.
 
Dr. Kristin Baker said, “Research indicates that people who marry as minors face increased dropout rates from both high school and college, increased medical and mental health problems, and markedly increased likelihood of future poverty. This bill raises the age of marriage to 16. It also sets limits on age gaps for marriage of minors ages 16 and 17, thus serving as a deterrent for those who would target North Carolina as a destination state for human trafficking.”
 
She continued, “As a conservative Christian, I am a strong supporter of the sacrament of marriage. As a child psychiatrist, I am determined to protect our vulnerable youth, enhancing their chances for healthy, happy futures. I believe this bill works to achieve those ends. “
 
“I am extremely proud to see this critical bill moving forward in the NC House,” said Rep. Clemmons. She continued, “It is past time that we protect young people – especially young girls – from the well-documented negative impacts of child marriage. I am grateful for the determination of advocates and the bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislative leadership to make this progress to protect our children.”
 
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NC House Speaker Statement on the Passing of Rep. Jerry Carter

NC House Speaker Tim Moore would like to share the following statement in light of the passing of Rep. Jerry Carter (R-Rockingham):
 
“I am heartbroken and devastated by the sudden loss of my friend and colleague Representative Jerry Carter. Representative Carter was an extraordinary legislator and a devoted husband to his wife, who he loved dearly. He was the chaplain of the NC State Highway Patrol and was a man of deep faith and faithful prayer. He was the founder and pastor of Reidsville Baptist Church, and he was deeply passionate about serving Rockingham County and his constituents back home. We will feel Jerry’s loss deeply at the NC General Assembly, and my prayers are with Jerry’s family as they grieve this great loss in the days ahead.”
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NC House Speaker Statement on State Healthcare Facilities Vaccine Mandate

Today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) announced that the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF) will now require employees at all state healthcare facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 30, 2021.
 
All DSOHF employees who are not fully vaccinated by the deadline will “be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, for unacceptable personal conduct.”
 
NC House Speaker Tim Moore responded with the following statement:
 
“I have personally been vaccinated against COVID-19, and I have done my best to help educate the public and urge others to get vaccinated if they choose to do so. But at the end of the day, the decision whether or not to vaccinate is a personal one and should be made between a doctor and patient. North Carolinians will not be bullied into being vaccinated against their will, particularly with a vaccine that has yet to be approved by the FDA.”
 
He continued, “Our healthcare workers are certainly capable of weighing the risks and benefits and can make their own decision about the vaccine. This mandate could force healthcare workers to choose between their employment and their conscience. Now is not the time to risk losing any of our healthcare workers who have been at the front lines of this pandemic.”
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House Honors Late Former Representative Melanie Goodwin

Raleigh, NC – Today, the North Carolina House of Representatives convened in honor of the late former Representative Melanie Goodwin.

HJR 971, A Joint Resolution Honoring the Life and Memory of Melanie Wade Goodwin, Former Member of the General Assembly passed the House unanimously Wednesday.

Rep. Goodwin served three terms in the state House from 2004 to 2010, representing Richmond and Montgomery counties. She co-chaired the House Elections Law and Campaign Finance Reform Committees and the Legislative Administrative Procedures Oversight Committee in the General Assembly.

Rep. Gooodwin was also an attorney and served as a Deputy Commissioner at the North Carolina Industrial Commission. She passed September 2, 2020 after bravely battling breast cancer for eleven years.

House Speaker Tim Moore said, “I am honored to have served with Rep. Melanie Goodwin. She was an amazing person, a dear friend, and an excellent representative. She was also a devoted mother and a loving wife, which meant more to her than anything else.”

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HB 951 “Modernize Energy Generation” Passes House in Bipartisan Vote

HB 951 passed the North Carolina House in a bipartisan vote.

Speaker Moore said, “It’s time to usher North Carolina into the future of energy. This bill gives our state a diverse portfolio of energy sources and includes input from a diverse group of energy policy stakeholders who were brought together to confront the challenges facing consumers.”

He continued, “I’m determined to have North Carolina set the tone for what energy policy should be. And this bill gets our state moving forward, even leading the way.”

The bill will now go to the Senate.

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Speaker Moore Calls for NC to Lead the Way for Reliable, Affordable, and Sustainable Energy

Today, in a new opinion piece written with GOPAC chairman David Avella, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore calls for reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions across the country and for North Carolina to lead the way.
 
Speaker Moore said in the piece, “I, Tim Moore, am determined to have North Carolina showing the path for others to follow. A diverse group of energy policy stakeholders was brought together to confront the challenges facing consumers. The legislation developed will secure decades of reliable, affordable, and, yes, cleaner power for North Carolinians.”
 
He continued further, “The Modernize Energy Generation legislation supports a mix of generation technologies that includes new combined-cycle natural gas power plants. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these facilities produce about 60% less carbon than coal plants. The legislation also commits $50 million to facilitate early site permitting for a new, advanced modular nuclear facility — a source of energy that generates zero emissions.”
 
The Op-Ed, entitled “Americans don’t have to live in the dark” can be read in full at the Washington Examiner.
 
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NEWS: Governor Cooper Vetoes Bill That Would Put NC Back to Work

Today, on a Friday afternoon ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, Governor Cooper vetoed SB 116, the “Put North Carolina Back to Work Act.”
 
Once again, Governor Cooper has vetoed common-sense legislation that passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. SB 116 would have made unemployment benefits non-taxable income and withdrawn our state from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Agreement (FPUC.)
 
The bill would have also used $250 million in the American Rescue Plan Act money to subsidize child care for qualifying children.
 
Representative Jason Saine said, “Unfortunately the governor is short-sighted in his veto. We really need to get this economy back to full strength, and providing childcare for those who need it to get back to work is a priority of the house.”
 
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State Leaders Urge Cooper Sign SB 116 and Help “Put NC Back to Work”

Governor Roy Cooper has made more vetoes during his tenure than any other governor in our history.

The majority of those vetoes (a total of 37, approximately 65%) were filed under cover of night or over a weekend. The next bill on his desk for signature or veto is SB 116, the “Put NC Back to Work Act.”

House Majority Leader John Bell said, “On top of vetoing the most bills in North Carolina history, the Governor has made it a pattern of doing so on a Friday afternoon in an attempt to bury the news heading into the weekend. This is not leadership. The polling is clear that on both sides of the aisle people want to end the extra federal unemployment benefits and get our state back to work. Every day, I hear from local businesses who cannot find employees to fill open jobs. Just yesterday, one announced they are closing their doors for good due to labor shortages. I encourage the governor to sign this bipartisan legislation without delay.”

The NC Chamber’s President and CEO Gary Salamido also urged Governor Cooper to sign the bill, saying, “At this decisive moment for our state, every day matters for the job creators struggling to find talent and for the parents and families looking for a feasible path back to work. Senate Bill 116 provides the critical solutions we need to reinvigorate our workforce, reduce COVID-related childcare constraints on families to empower their return to a job, and end our dependence on federal programs created for a moment when jobs were not readily available across our state. The NC Chamber applauds our elected leaders who worked hard to secure this bill and we urge Governor Cooper to help expedite our economic relaunch by signing Senate Bill 116 into law.”

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House Speaker Tim Moore Responds to Governor’s Veto of the Human Life Nondiscrimination Act

Raleigh, NC – Today Governor Roy Cooper vetoed HB 453, the Human Life Nondiscrimination Act/ No Eugenics.
 
HB 453 would prohibit individuals from performing an abortion unless a physician has confirmed the abortion is not being sought because of the actual or presumed race or sex of the unborn child or the presence or presumed presence of Down syndrome.
 
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore responded to the veto with the following statement:
 
“Gender, race, and disability are protected classes in most other contexts. Why should we allow the unborn to be discriminated against for these same traits? The message sent by this veto is that some human life is more valuable than others based on immutable characteristics.”
 
Speaker Moore continued, “This bill had bipartisan support in the House, and we will continue to work hard to protect the unborn. And we will support individuals with disabilities and the families who care for them. They deserve nothing less.”