The North Carolina legislature gaveled in for a brief session Tuesday. But lawmakers aren't holding any votes, and they still haven't reached agreement on a budget.
The House and Senate chambers were largely empty Tuesday because legislators were told they didn't need to make the trip to Raleigh this week. That means lawmakers won't take any further action until late September at the earliest. After adjourning its July session, the legislature has scheduled brief monthly sessions for the remainder of the year, but many of them could come and go without votes.
This week, they aren't making additional attempts yet to override Gov. Josh Stein's vetoes. And they aren't close to passing a budget bill for the fiscal year that began last month. That means the school year is beginning without significant raises for teachers and most state employees, even as the State Health Plan is preparing to increase the premiums they pay for health insurance.
Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, was one of only a few legislators present at Tuesday's no-vote House session. He says he's been hearing from state employees and teachers in his district who are anxious to get a budget and pay raises.
"I'm not involved in the budget negotiations," he said. "We're hopeful that (House and Senate leaders) reach some sort of agreement to allow this process to move forward, but right now, that's about all I'm capable of doing from my seat back here in the back row."
Neither Senate leader Phil Berger nor House Speaker Destin Hall are present in Raleigh for this week's session, an indication that budget negotiations between the two chambers aren't progressing.
House and Senate Republicans remain at odds over the size of raises, and whether to delay scheduled income tax cuts. Plans to eliminate vacant jobs across state government, fund a new children's hospital, and increase subsidies for childcare facilities are also on hold for now.
Democrats in the legislature have scheduled a news conference Wednesday to "discuss how the Republican-controlled legislature, despite its near-supermajority, continues to delay vital funding for schools, local governments and working families," according to a news release.
During the legislature's last voting session in late July, they did pass a "mini-budget" to address some of the most pressing state government spending needs, such as "step" pay increases for teachers and funding for school enrollment growth and Medicaid.
