NCSBA Legislative Update – May 12, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – May 12, 2023

by Christina Davoile last updated on May 12, 2023
It was a much slower week at the General Assembly following last week’s flurry of activity with the crossover deadline. Speaking of the crossover deadline, the NCSBA Governmental Relations team is hosting a live webinar this Monday, May 15 at 12:00pm to discuss which legislation made the crossover deadline and what we can expect between now and the end of session.

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DrLxMktqQ6q5K1m1EfX1hg

Neither the House nor Senate had voting sessions this week. The House took the week off. The Senate held one committee meeting and was busy putting the final touches on their proposed State Budget bill, which is expected to be rolled out next week.

Education Bills Passed by the Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee

Local Bills

The following bills passed the Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee by a voice vote and were sent to the Committee on Rules & Operations of the Senate.

SB248: Change Number of Members On Nash County Board of Education (primary sponsors: Senators Lisa Barnes, R-Nash; Buck Newton, R-Wilson)

  • Reduces number of seats on the Nash County Board of Education from 11 to seven
  • Redraws school district maps to align with County Commission maps
  • Makes the filing period two weeks long and changes the date new board members take office to the first Monday in December
  • Staggers school board elections to match County Commission elections
  • Click here for an official bill summary

HB66: Partisan Boards of Education  (primary sponsors: Representatives Jay Adams, R-Catawba; Mitchell Setzer, R-Catawba)

  • Changes the method of election for the Catawba County, Hickory City, and Newton-Conover City boards of education from nonpartisan to partisan
  • Amended in committee to also make the Pamlico County Board of Elections partisan
  • Click here for an official bill summary

HB 452: Franklin County Board of Education Election Method (primary sponsor: Representative Matthew Winslow, R-Franklin)

  • Changes the date and method of election of the Franklin County Board of Education to a nonpartisan primary and election method
  • Click here for an official bill summary
Monday, May 15, is “Bring Your Legislator to Work Day.” In case you haven’t heard, school board members can also attend to greet and welcome your legislator(s). Confirm with your Superintendent that your district is participating and for times/location(s).

Click here to read the press release.
The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

May 8, 2023, Weekly Report
Headlines for this edition include:

Federal Budget Update: With only three weeks left to extend the federal government’s debt ceiling, the House of Representatives is proceeding with its budget proposal for FY2023-24. House Appropriations Chair Rep. Kay Grainger (R-TX) has listed dates throughout May and June that the subcommittees and the committee will mark up the budget bill.

While Chairwoman Granger provided a schedule for action, she hasn’t shared when subcommittee leaders might know how much money they have to allocate to the agencies and programs under their purview. Even so, it is presumed that the discretionary total for all the bills will be the $1.471 trillion level set in the debt ceiling and spending cut bill House Republicans passed last week. The cut to most non-defense funding, including money dispersed by the Department of Education, would be 22%.
At press time, no schedules have been released for education-related committees next week. Check the NC General Assembly calendar page for updates.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.orgMadison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.orgRob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org
Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – May 12, 2023