NC Gov. Cooper urges lawmakers to drop culture wars and fully fund school plan

RALEIGH, N.C. — With less than two years left in his second term, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper gave a State of the State speech Monday night that served as both his highlight reel and message to Republicans about what they’ll fight over this legislative session.

The event is high on pomp and circumstance, with senators making a formal entrance into the House chamber for a joint session, followed by N.C. Supreme Court justices, Council of State members, other dignitaries and the governor.

Before a General Assembly that is majority Republican, the Democratic governor talked about building up the state for “enduring prosperity,” touting job growth and clean energy as well as reaching the cusp of passing Medicaid expansion.

Cooper claimed a share of credit along with Republicans, business and workers for North Carolina being named as the No. 1 state for business by CNBC in 2022.

“You legislators deserve some credit for that,” Cooper said, to laughter and bipartisan applause.

“My administration deserves some credit for that. Our business community deserves some credit for that.

“But we all know who deserves the bulk of the credit: those who make up our amazing workforce — the determined, dedicated and diverse people of North Carolina.”

Cooper also spoke against tax cuts. Republicans have been phasing out the income tax at the corporate level and lowering it at the individual level, and they credit lower tax rates as one of the reasons the state is attractive to business.

Cooper talked about the role of diversity and inclusion, as part of the workforce and in education, in bringing business to the state.

“Avoiding the worst of the culture wars these past six years has also been good for business. We worked together in a bipartisan way to fully repeal the horrible bathroom bill the first year I took office,” Cooper said, referring to House Bill 2, which became law during former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration.

Cooper defeated McCrory to become governor in 2016.

The state lost millions in revenue as sports organizations and others took their business elsewhere as a result. Cooper said the state should stay “off the front lines of those culture wars that hurt people and cost us jobs,” appearing to reference two pending pieces of legislation: the Parents’ Bill of Rights that regulates instruction about LGBTQ issues, and the anti-critical race theory bill that regulates how race is taught in public schools.

“Use public schools to build a brighter future, not to bully and marginalize LGBTQ students,” Cooper said. “Don’t make teachers rewrite history.”

Because of term limits Cooper will leave the Executive Mansion ahead of the next State of the State, which will be given by whomever is elected in 2024.

So far, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is the only candidate, and likely front-runner, from Cooper’s party. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who serves as Senate president and has repeatedly mentioned his interest in becoming governor, gave the recorded Republican response. infrastructure upgrades across the state and announced that his budget proposal would fully fund the long-running Leandro court case’s education spending plan.

“We have the money this year and next to fund the plan,” he said. “And if we’re smart about our tax policy, we can fund it into the future.”

The state is expecting a $3.25 billion surplus this year, which is one-time money, as opposed to recurring funds used for raises.

“The budget I will present to you invests in the entire education plan ordered by the court,” Cooper said.

“It gives teachers and principals double-digit raises, it keeps the buses running, it helps kids with special needs, it keeps schools safe, it does not raise taxes and it balances the budget.”

The General Assembly’s budget writers — Republicans in both House and Senate, as they have control — expect Cooper’s budget proposal March 15. Rep. Donny Lambeth, a Winston-Salem Republican and one of the House’s head budget writers, said the House could pass its budget by early April, and if the optimistic track prevails, send a budget to Cooper’s desk by mid-June.

Education spending and the budget

Cooper spoke about