Friday, July 10, 2026
Highlights
Office of Governor Josh Stein Press Release | July 7, 2026
“Going forward, there is more work to do. We must continue to invest even more in public safety, public education, and other public services to be competitive with other states and to serve our people well. But as today’s budget proves, we can work together to get things done. I am eager to keep at it with the General Assembly to keep building on our momentum to create a North Carolina that’s safer, stronger, and more prosperous with opportunity for every person.”
Governor Stein also signed House Bill 56: 2026 Budget Technical Corrections.
View Governor Stein’s full remarks from Tuesday's signing ceremony.
President Pro Tempore Senator Phil Berger Press Release | July 7, 2026
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) released the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Stein signing the state budget into law:
"For over 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have meticulously crafted budgets to rein in the runaway spending Democrats were dependent on. After decades of fiscal recklessness, Republicans right-sized state government and sent billions of dollars back to residents in the form of regular personal income tax cuts and reforms.
Our fiscal policies resulted in an incredible decade of success and economic growth. Senate Republicans fought to secure a budget that would continue those efforts, and the budget Gov. Stein signed does just that. It continues to slash tax rates for all North Carolinians and prioritize the needs of our citizens, not bureaucrats.
This budget supports educational access, from our K-12 public schools and private schools to expanding community college workforce programs and our UNC System campuses. We replenished our savings account and ensured hurricane recovery efforts can continue. We also addressed critical healthcare needs and chipped away at archaic certificate-of-need laws that drive up costs for patients.
"I'm glad Gov. Stein recognizes how vital this budget is for the people of North Carolina."
Speaker Hall Responds to Governor Stein Signing State Budget
Office of House Speaker Destin Hall Press Release | July 7, 2026
NC House Speaker Destin Hall released the following statement in response to Governor Stein signing the state budget into law:
“Today, the best budget in decades becomes law, delivering historic raises for teachers and law enforcement, as well as tax relief for the working men and women of our state. There is something in this budget for every North Carolinian, and the meaningful investments we’ve made will deliver real results that strengthen our communities, put more money back in people’s pockets, and improve lives across our state.”
EdNC - Molly Steur | July 7, 2026
Gov. Josh Stein signed the new $34.4 billion state budget into law on Tuesday, highlighting its investment in public education. Among other things, the budget features an 8% average pay raises for teachers and increased funding for literacy and math efforts in North Carolina.
“This budget bill gets a lot of things right,” Stein said during an event where he signed the budget. “It delivers the largest starting teacher pay raise in nearly 50 years and the largest overall teacher pay raise in the last 15 years.”
Contents
July State Board of Education Meeting
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Thursday, July 9, 2026 (Virtual Meeting)
Government and Community Affairs
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Geoff Coltrane, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Strategy
Access all YouTube recordings of SBE meetings here.
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Celebrate the Good in Public Education
Public School Forum of North Carolina | July 8, 2026
School leadership plays a critical role for students, educators, and families. This is not an easy task, but thankfully, there are several principals across our state who excel at the job. The Public School Forum recently spoke with some outstanding educators, the 2026-27 North Carolina Wells Fargo Regional Principals of the Year.
These leaders have been recognized for their strong leadership and commitment to student success, and they shared some insight on how they’re striving to lead the best positive learning environments for students, and positive work environments for educators.
The Public School Forum recently spoke with:
- Dr. Mariah Walker, Wake Young Women’ s Leadership Academy, NC Principal of the Year
- Kelly Flora, Nags Head Elementary School, Northeast Principal of the Year
- Dr. Marlow Artis, Craven Early College High School, Southeast Principal of the Year
- Dr. Latreicia Allen, John Griffin Middle School, Sandhills Principal of the Year
- Dustin Farmer, Ashe County High School, Northwest Principal of the Year
- Jennifer McBrayer, CHASE Middle School, Western Principal of the Year
- Deborah Brown, The Exploris School, Charter Principal of the Year
VIDEO - Education Matters Ep 275: Meet the 2026-27 Principals of the Year
Legislative Lookback: Week of July 6, 2026
The following education related bills had action this week:
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HB 56 2026 Budget Technical Corrections.
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HB 1126 2026 DST Admin/Technical/Clarifying Changes.-AB
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SB 257 2026 Appropriations Act
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SB 1041 Public Workforce Modernization Act.
A Look Ahead: General Assembly adjourns until Monday, July 27
The NC General Assembly has temporarily adjourned until Monday, July 27, 2026.
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HJR 1243 Adjournment Resolution - A joint resolution adjourning the 2025 regular session of the General Assembly to a date certain and providing for the matters that may be considered upon reconvening.
The NCGA legislative calendar is updated frequently, so be sure to check the NCGA Homepage for the most up-to-date information on committee meetings, voting sessions, press conferences, and more. Current Legislative Calendar
Bills in the News:
NC Newsline - Christine Zhu | July 6, 2026
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed four bills Monday addressing public safety, housing, and state employee benefits.
State employees will have 12 weeks of paid parental leave under a new law that changes how the state hires and retains employees. Previously, state employees giving birth received eight weeks of parental leave, while other state employees received four weeks.
Senate Bill 1041 is the state’s most comprehensive human resources modernization in about 50 years, according to Stein. It passed the state legislature with the backing of state human resource officers and had overwhelming bipartisan support.
The new law gets rid of longstanding administrative rules for state hiring, making it easier and faster for state agencies to hire workers, and helps spouses of service members to find jobs in state government.
Pregnant state employees and new moms with their babies surrounded Stein as he signed the bill. One parent holding twins handed off a baby to the governor as others spoke about the new law’s benefits.
“With this state policy, we’re making it easier for parents to succeed in the state’s workforce,” the governor said.
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K-12 Education Bills
Education Bills to Watch
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HB 171 Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI.
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HB 301 Social Media & AI Safety.
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HB 832 Education Omnibus.
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SB 445 Regulatory Reform Act of 2026.
Reminder: Bills ≠ Laws
Only a few dozen bills typically make it “across the finish line” and become law each legislative session.
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