NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: Budget News and Voter Related Bills

North Carolina Senators have announced a plan to release their budget the week of June 21st. After they pass their budget, the House will then introduce and pass a budget of their own. This will likely be in mid-July. From there, legislators will negotiate one final budget to send to Governor Cooper.  NASW-NC anticipates a budget will be in place by the end of August given this information. While we are unsure of all the details of the budget, legislators have announced it will include tax cuts and does not include full Medicaid Expansion. Earlier this week, Governor Cooper announced a $6.5 billion state surplus over the next two years, so our state is in a good position financially to fund needed programs and services.

This past week, legislators took up several voting related bills. Of note, the House is working on the passage of House Bill 337 Constitutional Amendment/Repeal Literacy Test, an outdated Jim Crow Era policy that required passing a literacy test to vote that is still in our state Constitution. This legislation would place a Constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2022 for voters to vote for or against a "Constitutional amendment to repeal the requirement that every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in the English language." The bill passed committee and will be on the floor next week.
 

The Senate took up and passed Senate Bill 724 Expand Access to Voter ID and Voting. This legislation would allow any voter eligible for an absentee ballot and who is visually impaired to vote online through a portal designed for the visually impaired. This would be set up and overseen by the State Board of Elections. The bill also directs the State Board of Elections and the Division of Motor Vehicles to jointly develop and maintain an online voter registration system which allows applicants to complete an application to register to vote or update an existing voter registration. Lastly, the bill would fund a program to help identify individuals who need a photo ID to vote in person by using a mobile component to visit individuals and make a photo ID for them. The bill passed along party lines and is now in the House.
 

The Senate also took up and passed Senate Bill 326 Election Day Integrity Act. This legislation changes the state's absentee ballot laws to require ballots to be received by county boards by 5:00 pm on Election Day. Current law allows ballots to be received by the third day after elections if it was postmarked on or by Election Day. County boards would have to spoil ballots received after the deadline and would have to notify the state of how many ballots were impacted. The bill passed along party lines and is now in the House. NASW-NC opposes this bill.