Governor Stein Urges Bipartisan Solutions on Public Safety, Teacher Pay, and Health Care Ahead of General Assembly’s Return to Raleigh

Today Governor Josh Stein urged the General Assembly to pass a budget that makes investments in public safety, raises pay for teachers and state employees, and funds health care for North Carolinians. The Governor released the following statement:

“After the horrific murder of Iryna Zarutska, we must help people feel safer in our state. The General Assembly needs to make investments in public safety to put more cops on the beat, ensure that the magistrate system effectively holds criminals accountable, and keep people safe on public transportation and on our streets.

“North Carolina is also on the clock to fully fund Medicaid. I am committed to working with the General Assembly to find a solution that keeps the program running so that North Carolinians do not lose their health care. Let’s come together to do right by the people of North Carolina and prioritize the things that make North Carolina strong.”

A budget for the 2025-2027 biennium was due on July 1. Ahead of the General Assembly’s return to Raleigh on Monday, Governor Stein sent a letter urging legislators to address public safety, give teachers a pay raise, and urgently fund North Carolina’s Medicaid program before October 1 in the absence of a comprehensive budget. North Carolina remains one of just two states that have entered the fiscal year without a budget.

Click here to read Governor Stein’s letter to the General Assembly.