State lawmakers are scheduled to return to Raleigh next week, and Democrats say they’re concerned the session will include new funding for private school vouchers.
Republican legislative leaders haven’t yet announced their plans for next week. But Gov. Roy Cooper and top legislative Democrats held a news conference Thursday to blast the possible voucher plan.
"Unfortunately Republicans in this legislature are trying to choke the life out of our public schools," Cooper said. "And their constituents — we're going to be depending on you this week — their constituents need to tell them to stop it."
Spokepersons for Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore did not respond to inquiries about the session plans on Thursday. The brief session, set to begin Monday, has been on the calendar for months, and legislative leaders said earlier this summer that they could take up unfinished business on those dates but might not hold votes at all.
"I've not been officially informed or advised by the Senate Republican leadership of what’s on the agenda come Monday, but I’ve heard from reliable sources that vouchers will be an important part of what we take on for two or three days next week," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake, told reporters.
The Opportunity Scholarship voucher program ran out of money earlier this year before wealthier families received vouchers; the legislature had previously eliminated income caps for the program.
But while GOP leaders agreed to add hundreds of millions of dollars to the program, the House and Senate disagreed on the funding details. Moore said he wanted to see the funding paired with more money for public schools, and there was no agreement on a full budget adjustment bill during this year's session.
The legislature adjourned over the summer without a voucher deal. Since then, a group of parents seeking school vouchers has held a protest event to push for action. The group wrote on its website last week that legislative leaders "are discussing clearing the waiting list as soon as September 9."
"Hardworking North Carolina families are in need of relief and deserve access to their own tax dollars to give their children the education that best meets their needs," the website says.
Cooper and Democrats argued Thursday that the state can't afford more voucher funding, and that rural counties with little access to private schools would suffer the most. They noted that 30% of North Carolina's counties have either one private school that accepts vouchers or none at all, and the majority of schools are religious institutions with minimal oversight.
"There's not going to be money left to provide teacher pay raises, we know that for a fact," Cooper said. "I think revenue is a real problem here."
In addition to vouchers, an unfinished bill to require sheriffs to follow federal immigration detainers could also be on the agenda next week.
