Some GOP Congress members from NC wary about megabill, but it’s moving forward

Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I’m Ronni Butts with the latest in North Carolina politics.

Sen. Thom Tillis continues to make headlines for his decision to retire and his opposition to President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” I went to Tillis’ Raleigh office Tuesday to check out what was billed as a rally to thank him for withholding an affirmative vote, though Tillis won’t exactly be able to use it as evidence of a groundswell of support — there were only four people there.

Gov. Josh Stein also signed a slew of bills Wednesday. But first, here’s more on the status of the bill in Congress.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WARY OVER BUDGET BILL

The megabill returned to the House after passing in the Senate with a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance as the tie-breaking vote. There was little margin for error for the GOP considering the last House vote for the bill resulted in a 215-214 split in May.

Republican Rep. Greg Murphy of Greenville, who represents North Carolina’s 3rd District, said that he’s “having a hard time getting the point where I can support the Senate package,” Punchbowl News reported. As a practicing doctor, Murphy said that he worries about funding for poor, rural hospitals.

Rep. Chuck Edwards of Henderson County, who represents District 11, already expressed discontent with the bill in a letter he co-signed alongside 15 other Congress members addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

On Wednesday, Edwards said a meeting with the White House “didn’t sway my opinion,” Punchbowl reported.

But in the end, the House took a key procedural step toward approving the bill overnight — with only one Republican, from Pennsylvania, voting with Democrats, the Washington Post reported.

Gov. Josh Stein released a statement Wednesday afternoon urging all North Carolina House members to vote against the bill.

“I write today with deep concern regarding the Senate budget reconciliation bill that would impose sweeping changes to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and tax credits for energy and manufacturing,” Stein said in the statement.

“I urge you to press pause on this bill because of the immediate and long-term threats it poses to the health and well-being of North Carolinians and the economic stability of our state.”

GOV. STEIN SIGNS MORE BILLS

Stein signed 15 bills into law on Tuesday. Here are a few of them:

• House Bill 959: Various Education Changes. Beginning in August, students at public K-12 schools will have greater restrictions on phone usage during the school day. T. Keung Hui has the story.

• House Bill 378: Various Ed Law/Tax Acct/NIL Changes. Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals between agencies and students at North Carolina public universities are now exempt from public records laws. To learn more, read Jadyn Watson-Fisher’s story.

• House Bill 948: P.A.V.E. Act. Under the bill, the city of Charlotte will now be able to go forward with a voter referendum which would call for a 1-cent sales tax that would allocate funds to improving the city’s public transportation. Mary Ramsey at The Charlotte Observer has more.

• Senate Bill 391: Department of Transportation Omnibus. North Carolinians can now renew their driver’s licenses up to two years after their expiration dates without getting a ticket. Richard Stradling previously reported on the effort.

• Senate Bill 124: State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization Act. This bill seeks to streamline the hiring process of state employees through several methods, including reassessing and removing the requirement for a bachelor’s degree for certain roles and revamping application websites.

Stein also signed the following bills:

• Senate Bill 321 - Accounting Workforce Development Act
• House Bill 67 - Healthcare Workforce Reforms
• House Bill 412 - Child Care Regulatory Reforms
• House Bill 737 - Department of Insurance Omnibus Acts
• Senate Bill 77 - School Contracted Health Services
• Senate Bill 295 - Clarify Motor Vehicle Dealer Laws
• House Bill 975 - EMS Personnel Provisions
• House Bill 762 - Modernize NC S.A.F.E. Act/2d Mortgage Fee Act
• House Bill 537 - Alena’s Law and Office of Vital Records Changes
• House Bill 388 - Amend Business Corporations Act

WHAT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON

• Stein vetoed a bill that would reduce the power of State Superintendent Mo Green over charter schools. Kyle Ingram and T. Keung Hui have more.

• Another Stein veto Wednesday blocked Senate Bill 266, which would allow Duke Energy to make delays to carbon emissions cuts. Martha Quillin reports.

• Before announcing he wouldn’t be seeking a third term, Sen. Thom Tillis had amassed over $4 million in campaign funds. Sophia Bailly reported on what could happen to the money.

• Eyes are on Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, as a potential candidate for North Carolina’s Senate seat. But Trump lives in Florida. When would she have to move to North Carolina in order to run? Read Avi Bajpai’s story to find out more.

Today’s newsletter was by Ronni Butts. Check your inbox Friday for more #ncpol.

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This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.