Battle of the branches: Gov. Stein calls all lawmakers back, Republicans refuse
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gov. Stein summons extra session to fund Medicaid; GOP leaders refuse.
- House Speaker Hall and Senate leader Berger call the proclamation unconstitutional.
- Legislature remains divided on budget and Medicaid as intra-GOP chamber fight continues.
It’s a battle of the branches.
Welcome to our Under the Dome politics newsletter. I’m Dawn Vaughan, The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief. This edition focuses on the governor. North Carolina, for the third gubernatorial term in a row, has a Democrat in the Executive Mansion and Republicans at the top of the Legislative Building a block away. And now they’re having their first real fight.
For the past several years, the biggest battle between the governor and the General Assembly has been over the state budget, but Republicans who control the legislature still haven’t passed one. North Carolina is now the last state in the country without a new comprehensive spending plan. That’s because of the battle, mostly about taxes, between House Republicans and Senate Republicans.
But there’s one thing House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger do agree on: they have rejected Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s call for an extra session to fund Medicaid. The issued a joint letter responding to Stein.
At the core of their letter is a disagreement on whether they are actually in session, and if the occasion is in fact extraordinary.
“The Proclamation fails to follow the requirements of the Constitution. Article III, Section 5(7) authorizes a governor to convene the General Assembly in ‘extra session’ only ‘on extraordinary occasions,’” Hall and Berger wrote. “The General Assembly is already in session. Your Proclamation is therefore ineffective and functions as an unconstitutional attempt to usurp the General Assembly’s authority to set its calendar.”
Stein shot back in a statement that Republicans “made the time to damage our democracy with their gerrymander. But when it comes time to protect people’s health care? When it comes time to enact a comprehensive budget? They’re on vacation, and they’ll see us next year. All while North Carolina families pay the price. That’s unacceptable.”
The House and Senate themselves disagree about what should be in a bill to fund Medicaid. And they haven’t passed a budget, a dispute between Berger and Hall and the caucuses they lead. So beyond a battle of the branches, the battle of the chambers is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, some Democrats will be attending a session planned for Monday , even if there aren’t any votes.
More NC politics news
- GOP rejects Stein’s call for Medicaid session, calling it attempt to ‘usurp’ power
- Congress votes to end shutdown. NC Democrat breaks with party in vote for bill
- NC Gov. Josh Stein talks about possible Border Patrol plans for Charlotte
Thanks for reading.
Ideas, feedback about our Under the Dome newsletter and podcast? Email me at dvaughan@newsobserver.com or our politics team at dome@newsobserver.com. And be sure to listen to our new podcast on Tuesday. I talk with DC corrrespondent Danielle Battaglia about the end for the federal shutdown and impact of U.S. Rep. Don Davis.
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