What's top of mind for top North Carolina Republicans this year
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North Carolina's Republican legislative leaders, who typically spearhead only a handful of bills each year, are behind a flurry of legislation this session that mirrors the Trump administration's priorities.
The big picture: Immigration, diversity and inclusion initiatives and crypto investments are the focus of bills backed by Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall.
- More than 500 bills have been filed so far this session, which began in January and runs through 2026. Only a fraction will make it to the finish line.
- Those with the blessing of Berger and Hall have the best chance at survival, and the bills they sponsor are all but certain to pass their respective chambers.
Zoom in: Hall is the lead sponsor on two House bills: The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act and a bill that would allow the treasurer to invest state funds in virtual currencies. The latter advanced in the House week only after Hall urged lawmakers to back it, WRAL reported.
- In the Senate, Berger is the primary sponsor of the North Carolina Border Protection Act, another immigration bill that passed last week. He's also backing a proposal called Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education.
Zoom out: Those bills are just a few of the dozens that North Carolina Republicans are pushing this year that align with President Trump's agenda.
- Republican lawmakers are also pursuing a Department of Government Efficiency-like effort in taking a "fresh look" at state agencies and assessing their value.
Between the lines: Berger introduced both his immigration and DEI bill after Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, a Republican, announced that he will challenge him in next year's primary election.
- Page, long a champion of controversial immigration enforcement tactics, will seek Trump's endorsement, he told the News & Observer. He poses one of the greatest challenges to Berger's power in his decades that Berger has been in office.
What we're watching: In their 14 years controlling the North Carolina General Assembly, Republicans have accomplished most of their top goals: They've slashed taxes, passed tighter abortion restrictions, fully funded the state's school voucher program, stripped power from the governor's office and transformed and expanded Medicaid.
- This year, however, Republicans are one seat short of a legislative supermajority, which would have given them enough GOP votes to override any of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's vetoes.
- That means that any outstanding legislative priorities the GOP has for the next two years will require the help of at least one Democrat in the House.
- That's not exactly out of the question, particularly on immigration. In November, two House Democrats helped pass a Hall-sponsored bill that, in part, would requires sheriffs to comply with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainers.
What's next: Helping Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene is a top priority for both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
- To that end, a bill allocating more than $500 million in funding to storm recovery will likely be the first to pass the Legislature this year.