North Carolina legislators leave after veto overrides, ballot question, unfinished business

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly wrapped up this year’s chief work session Thursday after overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes, putting a constitutional amendment about citizens and voting on the November ballot and sending to Cooper’s desk many additional bills.

But during its two months of work, the Republican-dominated legislature stumbled by failing to pass a comprehensive budget-adjustment measure for the next 12 months. Attempts at putting additional constitutional referendums before voters fell short. And bills on other contentious topics didn’t get over the finish line.

“I wish we had been able to get more done. I think if we had gotten more done, we’d have a little more to talk about,” Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters after his chamber passed an adjournment resolution. But, Berger added, “there was a lot of productive activity that took place.”

The two chambers disagreed over how much more to spend for the fiscal year that began July 1. That included whether state employees and teachers should get raises that are higher than what were already planned in the second year of the already enacted two-year state budget.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> North Carolina’s restrictions on public mask-wearing are now law after some key revisions </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> North Carolina legislators consider vetoes, constitution changes as work session winds down