“We’ve got providers that are trying to figure out how they’re going to keep their doors open during Christmas,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) told reporters at a press conference on Nov. 17, 2025. “Yet we’ve got folks that will not sit down and have a conversation about passing a budget for North Carolina, like 49 other states have done.” (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)
North Carolina House Democratic Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) and members of his leadership team backed Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s budget priorities in a Wednesday morning press conference, stressing the need for higher pay for teachers and public safety officials and measures to combat the rising cost of living.
The press conference came on the second day of the legislative short session, hours before House and Senate lawmakers passed a Medicaid funding bill. Legislators continue to search for consensus on a comprehensive budget, which they failed to agree on in last year’s session, largely due to disagreements between House and Senate Republicans over whether to cut personal and corporate income taxes again.
“The people of North Carolina deserve better leadership than what they have seen so far from us. Our state’s gone more than 900 days without a comprehensive budget,” Reives said. “The only state in the nation to fail at the most basic responsibility we have.”
Stein pitches NC budget with teacher raises, tax cuts, Medicaid funding
A key issue for Democrats is raising pay for teachers, government employees and law enforcement, for all of whom North Carolina’s salaries lag behind most other states.
“How can you tell people how much you support law enforcement when you refuse to even do the basic steps it takes to make sure they can make more money in law enforcement than they can going to work right now at Costco?” Reives asked.
Rep. Vernetta Alston (D-Durham), the House Democratic conference chair, said the party is focused on the issues “draining folks’ bank accounts,” including housing prices, utility fees, food costs and child care.
“Working people are paying more at the grocery store than they have in years, while many small farmers are struggling just to break even. That’s the sign of a system that is failing,” Alston said. “Industry can thrive without coming at the expense of North Carolina households.”
Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-Mecklenburg) said raising pay for teachers in North Carolina is an urgent need. He recounted learning from his son that after his high school math teacher quit, they could not afford to find a replacement.
“He and his classmates sat in a room without a teacher and stared at a Zoom screen and watched a teacher from across the hall teach his class, and then that teacher would come over for the last 10 to 15 minutes of class to see if anyone had any questions,” Lofton said.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
SUBSCRIBEReives said he doesn’t feel anything has changed with regard to House Democrats who lost their primaries — including Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg), who lost to a challenger endorsed by Stein — amid speculation that some may join with Republicans to override Stein’s vetoes.
“Unfortunately, having been here 12 years, I’ve lost a lot of friends to elections, and we never know why,” Reives said. “Nothing’s changed with us because we didn’t vote them in, didn’t vote them out.”
Reives also voiced concerns over a proposed amendment backed by House Republicans to limit local autonomy over property taxes.
“You’re going to lose law enforcement, you’re going to lose school budgets, I mean, it’s going to be crushing for cities and counties,” Reives said. “If we started giving the money back to the counties that we gave 15 years ago to make sure that they were able to cover a lot of these things, all of them would be happy to reduce their property taxes.”
Hence then, the article about nc house democratic leaders back stein s calls for pay raises medicaid funding was published today ( ) and is available on NC news line ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( NC House Democratic leaders back Stein’s calls for pay raises, Medicaid funding )
Also on site :
- Widow who lost life savings in romances scams died in Ghana crash after traveling ‘for marriage’
- New York lawsuits target prediction market giants Coinbase and Gemini in major showdown
- Former Nigerian general among six charged with treason