 |
Republican response by House Speaker Destin Hall also highlighted Helene recovery and room for bipartisanship, while focusing on Republican agenda
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein presented a positive outlook for North Carolina during his first State of the State address on Wednesday evening, calling for the state to work together across party lines to continue investing in education and Hurricane Helene recovery, among other things.
“Hurricane Helene and its horrific aftermath tested our state and our people in unprecedented ways,” Stein said. “But in the days, weeks, and months that followed, I have seen — we have all seen — that the state of our state is strong, North Carolina strong … The spirit of the people of North Carolina has never been stronger.”
While Stein praised the myriad efforts made to aid in Helene recovery — reopening roads, clearing debris, and repairing homes — he said that work still remains.
Stein cited estimates that the state is facing $60 billion in damages from Helene, the costliest storm to hit North Carolina.
“That is too much for those affected to bear themselves,” he said. “They need our help.”
Stein said he is working with both North Carolina’s congressional delegation and President Donald Trump to seek billions in federal aid as soon as possible.
He also urged lawmakers to pass its fourth Helene relief bill, which includes roughly $500 million of aid. The House passed its version of the bill last month, with the Senate passing a modified version last week.
Now, the two chambers must work out disagreements between the bills to pass a compromise bill.
Stein also urged lawmakers to allocate funds for small business loans, saying that “small business is the beating heart of the economy of western North Carolina.”
He added that the volunteers and workers helping in hurricane recovery don’t care about the politics of the people they’re helping.
“We must follow their example and step up for our neighbors in western North Carolina,” Stein said.
Near the end of his address, Stein urged North Carolinians to “come together across our differences” to find common ground and make progress — in hurricane recovery, and investment in the state’s students and its future.
Stein said bipartisanship is still possible, despite what politics might currently look like at the federal level. Specifically, he noted the example of Republicans and Democrats working together to expand Medicaid to more than 600,000 North Carolinians two years ago as an example of what is possible with bipartisanship.
When we — Republicans and Democrats — come together, that’s when we make a difference for our people.
We’ve made big things happen before, and we can do it again.
We can help western North Carolina recover from the most damaging storm in our history.
We can grow our economy and make it work for more people.
We can make sure that our workforce meets the needs of our people and our businesses.
We can keep our communities safe, and we can put our kids first, every time.
That’s because the state of our state is strong — North Carolina Strong.
Our teachers make us strong. Our law enforcement officers make us strong. Our small business owners, farmers, vets, child care workers, and community college students make us strong.
You, the people of North Carolina, make us strong.
So let’s come together and keep North Carolina strong.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein
In addition to discussing Hurricane Helene recovery, Stein also talked about his priorities for K-12 education, workforce and community colleges, and access to high-quality early childhood education. You can read the highlights in the subheadings below, followed by a summary of the Republican response from House Speaker Rep. Destin Hall.
You can also read Stein’s full prepared remarks on his website.
K-12 highlights
Stein’s address included several K-12 priorities, starting with teacher raises.
Specifically, Stein called on the legislature to make starting teacher salaries in North Carolina the highest in the Southeast, while also rewarding veteran teachers.
According to a recent presentation from the Department of Public Instruction, the highest average teaching salary in the Southeast is in Georgia, at $64,461. In comparison, the average salary in North Carolina is $56,559. The highest average starting pay in the Southeast is in Florida, at $47,178. In North Carolina, it is $40,136.
“I know that there is bipartisan support for these efforts,” Stein said. “This is an area where we can work together. So let’s do it — let’s invest in our kids, let’s pay our teachers a salary that shows how much we value them.”
According to a press release from the governor’s office, Stein was joined by several previous Teachers of the Year for his address, including Kimberly Jones, the 2023 Teacher of the Year.
Stein was also joined by Eastern Elementary School Principal Ali Setser in Pitt County, whose school offers free meals to all students through Pitt county Schools’ participation in USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision.
Stein urged lawmakers to invest in school meals for students, “because they can’t learn when they’re hungry.”
“A square meal improves student attendance, behavior, and learning,” he said.
Here’s a look at other K-12 education policies Stein raised:
- Expanding the state’s advanced teaching roles initiative “to better utilize our best teachers and give them a career pathway.”
- Extending the science of reading to middle schoolers.
- Putting public dollars toward public schools by increasing per-pupil spending in North Carolina. Stein said the money the General Assembly is currently investing in private school vouchers should instead go toward public schools.
- Cutting taxes for middle-class families, while reversing tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. Stein said this would allow savings for middle-class North Carolina families, while still allowing the state to “meet our critical education, health care, and public safety needs.”
- Allocating funding for school safety upgrades, and well-built and modern schools. Specifically, Stein said he is proposing a $4 billion statewide public school bond to address school building capital needs.
- Investing in student mental health by allocating funds to hire more school social workers, counselors, and psychologists.
Finally, Stein also talked about social media and cellphones, saying that both have a negative impact on student mental health and learning.
“Classrooms should be cellphone-free zones,” he said. “I’m pleased that bipartisan members of both chambers are tackling this issue, and I look forward working with you to make this happen.”
At the end of February, legislators discussed and then advanced two versions of a bill that would restrict student use of cellphones in North Carolina public schools. Last week, the Senate passed its version of the bill, Senate Bill 55.
The majority of Stein’s priorities around community colleges and postsecondary access were related to creating a healthy workforce in North Carolina.
Stein celebrated the fact that North Carolina has ranked highly in CNBC’s top states for business in recent years, while also calling for additional investments to keep the state’s momentum going.
“There is a lot to be proud of and plenty of credit to go around,” he said. “And I am committed to doing my part as governor to continue our state’s economic success.”
He called on state leaders to invest in the state’s people, whom he called North Carolina’s “greatest asset.”
Stein listed several goals and priorities related to growing the number of skilled workers in North Carolina, including:
- Doubling the number of apprentices over the next four years.
- Empowering hundreds of thousands more North Carolinians with the credentials they need to secure good-paying jobs. Specifically, Stein said he is proposing free community college tuition for students working toward certifications in high-demand sectors like advanced manufacturing, health care, and information technology.
- Investing in Propel NC, the community college system’s new proposed funding formula. Stein said Propel NC “rewards community colleges when students earn credentials for high wage jobs.”
- The creation of a Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships “to unite our community colleges, public schools, and local businesses around our shared goal of getting more people access to good jobs with good wages.”
During his speech, Stein highlighted the potential of apprenticeships by sharing the example of Surry-Yadkin Works, a cross-sector partnership that brings together four K-12 school districts, Surry Community College, and employers across two counties.
A local hospital, Northern Regional Hospital in Mount Airy, partnered with Surry-Yadkin Works to help address its nursing shortage.
Through the program, Stein said student Emily Orellana was able to get connected to Northern Regional as a high schooler and earn her certified nursing assistant credential.
Today, she’s about to graduate from the community college’s nursing program as a registered nurse with a focus on ICU care. Emily’s sister, Haylee, is now pursuing her own nursing credential to work in labor and delivery.
Stein said this apprenticeship program is just one example of the power such initiatives have to develop stronger workforces, while also helping workers get good-paying jobs without a bachelor’s degree.
“Every hard-working North Carolinian deserves a real shot at a brighter future,” he said. “And we have to create the conditions that allow them to fulfill their potential.”
Early childhood
Finally, Stein also discussed the importance of expanding access to quality, affordable child care in North Carolina.
Stein said that too many parents cannot afford to work, “because they can’t find child care they can afford, if they can find it all.”
Additionally, Stein said the state doesn’t have enough child care educators because they don’t get paid enough.
Currently, he said, there is only one child care spot for every five families wanting one.
“Each year, our state loses billions of dollars in economic activity because of our child care crisis,” Stein said. “… Let’s work together to expand access to quality, affordable child care here in North Carolina.”
Earlier this week, on Monday, Stein announced a bipartisan task force on child care and early education to “find innovative solutions to this challenge.”
The task force will release an interim report in June, Stein previously said, along with a more robust report by the end of the year.
“When we do (find solutions), it will be a win for our children, a win for our parents, and a win for our businesses and economy,” Stein said during Wednesday’s speech.
Republican response from House Speaker Hall
Following Stein’s speech, which was about 40 minutes long, House Speaker Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, gave the Republican response, which lasted about 10 minutes.
According to Hall, the Republican-led General Assembly’s vision for North Carolina focuses on “building our economy, rebuilding western North Carolina, investing in education, and working with ICE to remove criminal illegal aliens from our state.”
During his response, Hall, like Stein, praised the resilience of North Carolinians following Hurricane Helene, and similarly called for bipartisanship in the remaining recovery work.
However, Hall also criticized the Biden and Cooper administrations for their hurricane responses, saying that Democratic-led relief at the federal and state levels were too slow.
“Through this adversity we saw the true American spirit shine through,” Hall said. “Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming family, and heroes emerging in every corner of our communities.”
He said that the General Assembly has made Helene recovery its top priority, and is working to pass its fourth relief bill.
“And we’re not done. We’re going to continue to support western North Carolina for as long as it takes to rebuild,” Hall said. “I look forward to working in partnership with Gov. Stein, who I know shares my desire to get people back in their homes as quickly as possible.”
Hall continued: “He and I both recognize the long road ahead, and the need for us to all rise to the moment, setting aside petty partisanship for the sake of our neighbors.”
Read more about House Speaker Hall
Hall noted the “radical agenda of the left” during his response, and criticized a number of Democratic policies, including policies on hurricane recovery, immigration, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
However, Hall also said that real leadership means being willing to listen, even when we disagree.
Hall also discussed education during his response, highlighting Republican efforts to expand the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program, which provides private school vouchers for students attending participating schools.
“As we expand educational opportunities, let’s expand opportunities in the traditional K-12 system, so that parents have excellent options, whether they choose public or private schools,” Hall said.
He added that the General Assembly is committed to passing “meaningful teacher raises” to continue attracting talented educators.
“Expanding opportunities and supporting our teachers are not competing goals,” Hall said. “They’re two sides of the same coin — empowering families and investing in our teachers to build a stronger, brighter future for all North Carolina’s children.”
Finally, Hall also said the General Assembly will continue to invest in the state’s university and community systems, which he said “are the best in the world.”
“North Carolina’s best asset is the people of our state,” he said. “Investing in education draws businesses to our state because of our quality and educated workforce.”
