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See a list of the lawmakers working on the state budget deal

News Budget Legislature 2026
The North Carolina Legislative Building. Ben Humphries/EdNC

North Carolina is still operating on a mix of continuing budget resolutions after lawmakers failed to pass a full state budget last year. In 2025, North Carolina was the only state in the country not to pass a state budget, following disagreements between the Republican-led House and Senate about pay raises, personal income taxes, and other budget items.

Now, nearly a year later — a year during which teachers didn’t receive raises — Republican lawmakers have announced the beginnings of a budget deal. But the details are still being ironed out.

The deal hinges on a few compromises between the chambers of the General Assembly, including changes to planned state income tax decreases and the passage of bills to amend the state constitution to limit property tax hikes and the state income tax rate. Those amendments have passed the General Assembly and will be on the ballot for voters to approve in November.

Read EdNC’s reporting on property taxes

Speaker of the House Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said the budget will be an “unprecedented” budget for education. He said the average pay raise for teachers will be 8% — later clarifying that raises would not be retroactive and would go into effect shortly after the budget bill is passed. He said teachers with over 16 years of experience would receive a bonus of $1,000 and teachers “under that experience level” would receive a bonus of $500.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said the budget will bring starting pay for teachers to $48,000 before supplements.

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Ongoing budget negotiations

Ahead of the announcement by Hall and Berger, Gov. Josh Stein released a proposed “critical needs budget” and a proposed full state budget, which would give teachers higher raises.

Stein has also been critical of the proposed tax changes announced by Republican lawmakers, saying in a statement that “(the) proposed constitutional amendment would put North Carolina in a financial straight jacket that could wreak havoc on our public schools and public safety. If we want to continue to be the best state to live, work, and raise a family for years to come, we must be fiscally responsible and not make working families bear an unfair burden.”

Read more about the governor’s proposed budget below.

Gov. Stein releases budget proposal with 11% average raise for teachers, highest starting pay in the Southeast

Hall and Berger, in announcing the budget deal, did not release a bill draft or money report detailing all of the budget’s provisions. Those provisions are now being finalized through negotiations in a conference committee that includes lawmakers from both chambers.

Clues about what might be included in the final deal, which is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, might be found in last year’s House and Senate budget proposals, which included some common ground.

Coverage of last year’s House and Senate budget proposals

List of conferees

Below, see a list of the lawmakers sitting on the conference committee that is currently finalizing a state budget. The list is from the General Assembly’s website.

Senate members

House members

Former Rep. Cecil Brockman, D-Mecklenburg, is listed on the conference committee page, but he resigned from the General Assembly last year while facing criminal charges.

News Budget Legislature 2026
Ben Humphries

Ben Humphries is a reporter and policy analyst for EdNC.

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