New lawmakers + budget pitch + Medicaid funding deal on day 1
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- Stein made his third 2026 spending proposal on opening day of the session.
- The House and Senate reached a deal to provide $319 million in Medicaid funding this year.
- Lawmakers proposed an $80 million bill to raise Medicaid dental reimbursements to 50%.
Good morning, and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter, brought to you today by legislative and lobbying reporter Esther Frances.
Tuesday was the first day of the 2026 legislative session. It included a new budget pitch from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, as well as a Medicaid funding deal.
In case you missed it, here’s a recap with contributions from Capitol Bureau Chief Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and politics reporter Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi:
New members in both chambers
The House welcomed several new members during its session Tuesday, including Rep. Anna Ferguson, a Republican whose district includes Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties.
Ferguson grew up on the Qualla Boundary and is part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She replaced the late Rep. Mike Clampitt, who died from cancer in March.
Also, Rep. Amanda Cook of Guilford County, a Democrat, was appointed to the House in November and was seated Tuesday. She replaces former Rep. Cecil Brockman, who resigned as he faced criminal charges and is currently in jail.
The other chamber welcomed Democratic Sen. Jonah Garson, who was appointed on April 10 by Stein. Garson replaced former Sen. Graig Meyer, who resigned last month and became the executive director of the North Carolina Justice Center.
House bills move forward
The House made a procedural move of bringing bills filed in the 2025 session up again for a “nonconcur” vote, which means that the bill will go to the conference process to work out a deal.
Rep. John Bell, chair of the powerful Rules Committee, said the House did not like some of the changes made by the Senate in the most recent versions of the bills. He voted not to concur so the bills could move on to a conference committee.
Some of the legislation may be included in the budget process as well. The bills are:
- House Bill 56: UNC Enrollment
- House Bill 268: Additional Capital Appropriations
- House Bill 328: Regulate Hemp-Derived Consumables
- House Bill 562: Healthcare Investment Act
- House Bill 832: Education Omnibus
Medicaid funding + dental reimbursement
The House and Senate reached a deal on funding $319 million needed for Medicaid this year. Stein, whose pitch on the opening day of session included the funding deal, has been urging lawmakers for a comprehensive budget.
Stein on Tuesday made his third spending proposal of 2026, which included significant raises for law enforcement and teachers. The proposal would raise the starting teacher salary in North Carolina to the highest in the Southeast.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers also announced a new bill to raise dental providers’ reimbursement rates to expand access to oral care.
The bill, entitled “Modernize Medicaid Primary Care Rates,” would use an $80 million investment to increase reimbursements from around 34% of billed charges to 50%.
Crystal Adams, director of the N.C. Oral Health Collaborative, said North Carolina’s Medicaid reimbursement rates rank in the bottom third nationally. The state’s rates have also remained unchanged since 2008.
Nearly 40% of dental-related emergency room visits involve Medicaid patients, which costs North Carolina more than $20 million per year, according to primary sponsor and Angier Republican Sen. Jim Burgin.
Sen. Kevin Corbin, a Franklin Republican and another primary sponsor, said 93 out of North Carolina’s 100 counties face dental health professional shortages. He said only 45% of dentists accept Medicaid.
First-day stories, other coverage
Here’s some of what the politics team has been working on:
- NC Senate leader Phil Berger, after years at top of GOP power, starts last session
- NC lawmakers announce deal to provide Medicaid funding on their first day back
- NC Gov. Stein makes new budget pitch on General Assembly opening day. What’s in it
- Ice breaks at the NC legislature on opening day, as budget talks finally move ahead
- Tillis maintains he won’t confirm nominee unless Fed chair investigation is dropped
- Republicans on local elections board petition NC to fire county director
Thanks for reading Under the Dome
That’s all for now, with much more to come on Day 2 of the 2026 legislative session and beyond.
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- And learn more about issues facing North Carolina colleges and universities by subscribing to Higher Stakes, a weekly higher education newsletter from reporter Jane Winik Sartwell.
