2025 NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: NCGA leaves town with no budget
Monday, June 30, 2025
(0 Comments)
Posted by: Lauren Zingraff
In this week's update:
- NCGA leaves town with no budget
- Ask Gov. Stein to veto HB 805
- Gov. Stein signs foster care reform bill into law with bipartisan support
- Contact U.S. Senators Today
- SCOTUS issues rulings
- Give Feedback on Disability Rights NC (DRNC) 2026 Targets
- In case you missed it -Social Work Compact is Law
- Registration is open for 2025 Virtual Essentials Conference
NCGA leaves town with no budget
After months of bill filings and back-and-forth negotiations, North Carolina lawmakers have ended the primary portion of this year’s legislative session — without passing the state budget, one of their most important tasks. As a result, thousands of state
workers and teachers won’t see salary increases and the state will keep running on funding levels set by the prior budget.
The state’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, and before the new budget year starts, lawmakers are expected to pass a budget to guide spending for the next two years. But on Thursday, they left for a break of at least two weeks — with no budget
in place.
While it’s not unusual for lawmakers to miss the June 30 deadline, House and Senate leaders have signaled they remain locked in a stalemate, including over issues like taxes and raises. Both chambers hold Republican majorities. Republicans also did not
pass an adjournment resolution, which formally ends the session and limits what actions lawmakers can take. The Senate passed a resolution, but the House did not take it up.
Here’s what House and Senate leaders had to say on Thursday about where things stand on the budget.
Tax cuts
Senate leader Phil Berger blamed the stalemate on “an insistence on the part of the House to try to renegotiate agreements that we’ve made in the past.” The Senate wants further cuts to personal income tax rates, while
the House prefers a more cautious approach — delaying those cuts set in a previous budget unless the state’s revenue reaches certain set levels, known as “revenue triggers.” The state could be facing a tight budget, according to an updated revenue
forecast .
Berger said revenue projections can vary widely from actual collections, especially several years out, and relying on those forecasts to change previously agreed-upon tax policy was “inappropriate.” He said the Senate offered to move forward based on
the original agreement on income tax cuts, telling the House it didn’t need to commit to new reductions. “Neither of us would touch the triggers — and they rejected that,” he said.
Not fully done
House Speaker Destin
Hall wanted to leave things open-ended. He said the House didn’t want to be limited by an adjournment resolution to only conference reports, which are negotiated compromises both chambers must approve. Any budget deal will come through a conference
report, since neither side has accepted the other’s proposal.
Asked about the possibility of no budget deal being reached this biennium, the next two years, Hall said, “I think we will get one done before the end of the biennium.” “Obviously, there are some philosophical differences on a number of matters in the
budget,” he said. The Senate could get its way on taxes if it holds out on a budget so that existing revenue triggers can take effect. Hall acknowledged that disadvantage for the House negotiators, saying: “anybody can look at the situation and can
kind of see what the effects are.”
“At the same time, there are a lot of capital projects that are important to a lot of members across the state, really, that will need additional funding,” he said. “If we’re going to continue down the road of a policy that we think ultimately may put
us in a position, at least not to be able to do the investments we would like to do in education, in the university system, then we have to tighten our belts right now,” he said. “If you want to invest in things, you’ve got to have the money to do
that.” The Senate passed its budget in April. Then the House passed its budget in May.
With no compromise in sight, the House this week passed two mini-budget bills that included average teacher raises of 6.4% for 2025-26 and a 2.5% annual salary increase for most state employees starting July 1. Meanwhile, the Senate passed its own spending
bill, a 44-page measure that funds agencies and programs. Neither chamber approved the other’s more limited spending proposals. Hall added that senior appropriations chairs plan to meet during the upcoming break to discuss the budget and attempt to
resolve differences.
(Source: CharlotteObserver.com)
Ask Gov. Stein to veto HB 805
HB 805 began as a bipartisan bill to protect survivors of sexual
exploitation by requiring the removal of non-consensual intimate images from online platforms. But last-minute Senate amendments have hijacked this survivor-centered bill and turned it into a vehicle for anti-LGBTQ+ politics.
The amended bill now includes language that:
- Define “biological sex” in rigid, exclusionary terms
- Ban state-funded gender-affirming care for incarcerated transgender people
- Allow parents to opt students out of classroom content based on religious beliefs
- Require public schools to post book lists and allow parents to block access, fueling censorship and targeting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC books.
These changes don’t protect survivors. They weaponize a consensus-driven bill to push an agenda of trans erasure, censorship, and government intrusion into identity and healthcare.
Governor Stein has the power to stop this. We are calling on him to veto HB 805 and reject this dangerous bait-and-switch.
Take Action Today:
Tell him: North Carolina must protect survivors, not target trans people under the guise of justice.
Take Action Today to Fight LGBTQ+ Attacks!
(Source:Equality NC)
Gov. Stein signs foster care reform bill into law with bipartisan support
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Thursday signed into law sweeping foster-care reforms aimed at giving the state more oversight of North Carolina's foster care system.
House Bill 612, a bipartisan bill that sponsors titled the Fostering Care in NC Act, has been in the
works for years. It gives the state Department of Health and Human Services more power to hold county-run social services departments accountable. The bill also aims to tighten procedures and deadlines for investigating reports of abuse and neglect
within the foster care system.
Stein signed the bill in front of families, advocates and bill supporters, including social workers
and elected officials.
"This is a huge step in moving us forward and making sure the children who didn't ask for the trauma or neglect they've been exposed to have a good shot at being happy, successful adults," Senate Democratic leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, said Thursday.
"We have seen children dying in care based on decisions that were made at the county level. This allows the Department of Health and Human Services to engage in an earlier stage and hopefully save children from being physically abused."
Batch credited WRAL's documentary "Broken: Foster Care in North Carolina," with helping to give the bill
more momentum this year. The documentary examined failures in the state's foster care system.
"We were able to use that as momentum to get my Republican colleagues to really move on this issue," Batch said.
The bill was supported by leaders on both sides of the aisle, including bill co-sponsor Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, who has said the state needs more oversight of North Carolina’s foster care system.
"A bill of this magnitude doesn't just happen," Stein said during the bill-signing ceremony. "It's a lot of people of good faith coming together working hard to try to do something right for the children of North Carolina.
Stein praised bipartisan efforts to push through legislation that “protects the most vulnerable children and strengthens our child welfare system."
"I want to thank the General Assembly for coming together on a bipartisan basis to do what is right by the children of North Carolina,” Stein said. “I think that's something the people of North Carolina are thrilled to see in these divided times."
The state recently announced the official launch of Path NC, a statewide digital system for social workers to track foster children as they are relocated.
The program is intended to unify the state's disjointed child welfare databases to create a real-time system that child-welfare officials can access throughout the state “so that it doesn't matter which county the child is in, the social worker will know
what the child best needs," Stein said.
In addition to the foster-care bill, Stein signed Senate Bill 400, which promotes a multiagency approach to prevent abuse, neglect
and exploitation of disabled or older adults. “This bill will help counties improve their adult protective services for older and disabled North Carolinians by creating teams that can share information and collaborate, making vulnerable people safer,”
Stein said in a statement later Thursday.
Read more here.
NASW-NC supported HB 612.
ACTION ALERT
Deliberations Are Coming Down to the Wire: Call Our U.S. Senators and Leave a Message - Much Is at Stake for North Carolina
Negotiations on the budget reconciliation bill - officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act - continue in the U.S. Senate this week, and it appears that leadership in both the House and Senate are pushing hard to pass the legislation before
the July 4th holiday. There are many provisions in the bill that will have major implications for North Carolina and our citizens including those that would result in a significant reduction in federal funding coming to the state which will result in budget cuts to many programs and services.
Over the last several months, we have asked you to contact our Congressional delegation to voice your concern about provisions in the reconciliation bill that would adversely impact older adults and persons with disabilities. We are now asking you again
today to call our U.S. Senators, Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd, even if you have previously contacted them, and share the following messages, which are also currently being used by other human service entities in the state. The phone numbers
where you can leave a message are as follows:
Sen. Thom Tillis: (202) 228-2563
Sen. Ted Budd: (202) 224-3154
Thank You for Taking Action!
(Source: NC Coalition on Aging)
The Senate is in the final stages of passing their shameful budget reconciliation bill that decimates student loan forgiveness programs, makes historic cuts to SNAP and Medicaid & more. Instead of investing in programs that benefit all Americans in economically
uncertain times, Congress is rushing to pass a bill that benefits a handful of wealthy individuals.
Take action today: https://www.votervoice.net/NASW/campaigns/127432/respond
#PleaseShare #NASW #DefendSNAP #ProtectMedicaid #StudentDebtRelief #BudgetJustice #FightPoverty #EconomicJustice #SocialWorkAdvocacy #StopTheCuts
@SenateBudget @BudgetGOP @JudiciaryDems @JudiciaryGOP @judiciarydems.senate.gov @HSGAC @HSGAC_GOP
@senatebudget.bsky.social
SCOTUS issues rulings
The Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines on Friday sided with the Trump administration's request to limit universal injunctions issued by federal courts. The opinion in the birthright citizenship case was highly anticipated.
"Universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has given to federal courts," the conservative majority said, sending the case back to lower courts to reconsider their broad orders. However, the opinion also blocked President
Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship from taking effect for 30 days, while litigation continues.
Read the full decision, and read our full story.
The Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to bar Planned Parenthood's access to federal Medicaid funding for non-abortion services. The decision allows states to ban the organization from getting Medicaid reimbursements for cancer screenings and other care not related to abortion.
At issue was a provision of the federal Medicaid law that guarantees Medicaid patients the ability to choose their doctors, or in the words of the statute, they are entitled to "any qualified and willing provider." South Carolina, however, maintained
that it could disqualify Medicaid providers for "any reason that state law allows." Or as Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, put it, "Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize abortion providers who are in direct opposition to their beliefs."
Read the full decision, and read our full story.
Wading into another culture clash, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that school systems, for now, are required to provide parents with an "opt-out" provision that excuses their children from class when course material conflicts with their
religious beliefs.
The vote was 6-3, along ideological lines.
The court's decision has, for months, had public school boards, administrators, and teachers worried about how to navigate opt-out demands of all kinds—from courses that include LGBTQ characters in books to science classes that teach Darwin's
theory of evolution.
Read the full decision, and read our full story.
(Source: NPR.org)
Give Feedback on Disability Rights NC 2026 Targets
It’s survey time! Each year, Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) asks people with disabilities, their families, and other community members to help shape our work by filling out a short survey. Your feedback helps us understand which legal issues are most urgent and important to the disability community.
We invite you to share your thoughts and tell us which of our proposed goals—called Targets—should be our top priorities in 2026. The deadline for responses is August 3.
DRNC uses these Targets to guide our advocacy, legal work, and community efforts. To learn more about the Proposed Targets for 2026 and fill out our survey visit our website Give Feedback on DRNC's 2026 Targets - DRNC
One more ask: Please share this survey widely with your family, friends, and networks – help us spread the word!
(Source: DisabilityRightsNC.org)
In case you missed it -Social Work Compact is Law
On Friday, June 13th, HB 231 -Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact was signed into law by
Governor Josh Stein. Because of our significant advocacy and lobbying efforts to introduce and pass this bill, the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina (NASW-NC) staff and members were invited to join the Governor for this historic bill signing ceremony. Earlier in the week, HB231 was heard on the Senate
floor for its final vote in the NC Senate, where it passed unanimously 44-0. North Carolina is now the 29th state to become a member of the Social Work Licensure Compact.
The Social Work Licensure Compact was activated in fall 2024, upon the passage of the bill in 7 states, however, multistate licenses are NOT yet being issued. The implementation period for the Compact is expected to take 12-24 months from when it was activated; it
is only after the implementation period that multistate licenses will be issued. You can learn more details about the Social Work Licensure Compact and the Compact Commission by going to the Compact website here.
NASW-NC's top priority for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 legislative
sessions has been the passage of the Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact.
NASW-NC is also the ONLY organization lobbying and advocating for the entire Social Work Profession at the North Carolina Legislature. The NASW-NC lobbying team would not exist without the incredible support of NASW-NC
membership. If you are already a member of NASW-NC, THANK YOU. Our members are the only reason that we have been able to do this work!
NASW-NC is not federally funded; we are not state-funded. We are funded by the members of NASW and will not exist to advocate for you and the social work profession without YOU! We are able to do more if we have a large voice and
robust membership. If you are not yet a member, please join NASW and join us in our advocacy efforts.
Read the Social Work compact press release here.
Watch the Governor's bill signing ceremony with NASW-NC staff and members here.
Registration is open for 2025 Virtual Essentials Conference
Join NASW North Carolina for our Essentials Conference being held virtually on August 13, 2025. The conference title is "Beyond Words: Affirming Equity and Inclusion in Social Work Practice."
This transformative conference brings the social work profession together to explore and reaffirm our shared commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational principles of ethical practice. Grounded in the core values
and standards outlined in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, the conference emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, intersectional understanding, and institutional accountability in creating
inclusive environments within agencies, organizations, and communities. Whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned practitioner, this conference invites you to reflect, learn, and take actionable steps
toward building a more just and inclusive society through ethical social work practice. Join us as we affirm our professional duty to lead with integrity, empathy, and a relentless pursuit of equity for all.
Early Bird Pricing: NASW Members: $75 / Not yet a member: $150... prices go UP after July 7, so register today!
Click here to register!
Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership.
Learn more about NASW-NC membership here
You have received this message because you have subscribed to a mailing list of National Association of Social Workers. If you do not wish to receive periodic emails from this source, please click below to unsubscribe.
Was this email forwarded to you?
Please subscribe to NASW-NC Advocacy Alerts here
!
|
Print Page
Email to a Friend
