NC Gov. Stein signs Iryna’s Law, mini budget bills as big budget deal awaits
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Governor Josh Stein signed a second mini budget as full two‑year deal stalls.
- Mini budget allocates infrastructure funding for Lenovo Center and roads.
- Bill also provides disaster relief, DOL private counsel and auditor space.
Good Sunday morning to you, and welcome to our Under the Dome politics newsletter focusing on the governor. I’m Dawn Vaughan, The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief.
First, the big news: Democratic Gov. Josh Stein signed Iryna’s Law, a bipartisan crime bill named for Iryna Zarutska, into Friday. Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte light-rail train in August. Read my colleague Avi Bajpai’s report.
Stein also signed a second mini budget into law this past week, as North Carolinians continue to wait for a big budget deal. In 2019, there was no comprehensive two-year budget at all — legislators instead sending the governor a series of mini budget bills, but that was over a stalemate between then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, and Republican leaders of the House and Senate. This time, the fight is between the Republican leaders of the House and Senate, and those two mini budget bills are the only things they’ve agreed on.
The first mini budget bill passed in July, which just means it’s a small, targeted spending bill rather than the massive, 600-page budget lawmakers are tasked to pass in legislative long sessions like 2025. That bill included step-increase raises for public school teachers, whose base pay is set by the General Assembly, and some state employees on a step-increase pay program.
The second mini budget, signed into law Tuesday, included infrastructure funding for the Lenovo Center sports and entertainment district in West Raleigh.
This is a project, and an area, to watch, given it’s where the Carolina Hurricanes play, as well as the N.C. State University men’s basketball, and of course all kinds of concerts and other events. The Lenovo Center, recently renamed from PNC Arena, is also next to Carter-Finley Stadium, where N.C. State plays football, and near the State Fairgrounds.
After Stein signed the bill, Carolina Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork told N&O sportswriter Luke DeCock the money will fund a connector road along Wade Avenue, an extension of Wade Park Boulevard and elevate Stephen Stroud Way over Peter Karmanos Drive. Fork is the former chief of staff to Senate leader Phil Berger.
The mini budget bill, House Bill 358, also includes $65.5 million for disaster relief in the wake of Chantal, allows the Department of Labor to hire private counsel, funds three attorneys and security at DOL, and gives State Auditor Dave Boliek two more floors of office space in the Albemarle Building. The governor’s office is also in the Albemarle, along with the Department of Administration.
Stein’s comments on Yom Kippur
This week saw the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Stein is North Carolina’s first Jewish governor and posted this message on his social media: “To all across North Carolina observing Yom Kippur – G’mar chatima tova. May you have a peaceful, prayerful, and meaningful fast, and may you be inscribed into the Book of Life.”
Stein’s office also shared a statement with my colleague Twumasi Duah-Mensah on Friday about a violent attack on gatherers at an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Thursday.
“Anna and I are praying for the victims of the Manchester Synagogue attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews. May the memories of those we lost be a blessing and may we all do everything we can to stop hate and violence,” Stein said.
What we’re reading
Catch up on more stories about Stein and N.C. politics:
Podcast drops on Tuesdays
Thanks for reading. Be sure to listen to our Under the Dome politics podcast that posts every Tuesday morning. Next week I’ll be joined by higher education reporter Korie Dean, to talk about the delayed budget’s impact on universities.
Twumasi Duah-Mensah contributed to this newsletter.
Contact me at dvaughan@newsobserver.com.
