North Carolina State Senate

North Carolina State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	April 24, 2024
Session end:	July 31, 2024
Term length:	2 years
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$13,951/year + per diem and expenses
Members
Total:	50
Democrats:	20
Republicans:	30
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Mark Robinson (R)
Maj. Leader:	Paul Newton (R)
Min. Leader:	Dan Blue (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Next election:	November 5, 2024

The North Carolina State Senate is the upper chamber of the General Assembly of North Carolina. Alongside the North Carolina House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the North Carolina state government and works alongside the governor of North Carolina to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the North Carolina State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The North Carolina State Senate meets in the Legislative Building in Raleigh, North Carolina.

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.^[1] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.^[2] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.^[3] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.^[4][5][6][7] WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."^[8] Click here for more information about redistricting after the 2020 census.

All 50 seats in the North Carolina State Senate are up for election in 2024.

All 50 seats in the North Carolina State Senate were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Republican majority decreased from 28-22 to 30-20.

North Carolina has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

This page contains the following information on the North Carolina State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control[edit]

Current partisan control[edit]

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the North Carolina State Senate as of August 2024:

Party		As of August 2024
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	30
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		50

Members[edit]

Leadership[edit]

The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Senate but can only vote in the event of a tie. The Senate elects other officers from their members, including a president pro tempore. The president pro tempore then appoints members to serve on standing committees.^[9][10]

Leadership and members[edit]

• Senate president: Mark Robinson (R)
• President pro tem: Phil Berger (R)
• Majority leader: Paul Newton (R)
• Minority leader: Dan Blue (D)

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024[11]
Salary	Per diem
$13,951/year	$104/day

Swearing in dates[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.^[12][13]

Membership qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 2, Section 6 of the North Carolina Constitution states:

“

Each Senator, at the time of his election, shall be not less than 25 years of age, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the State as a citizen for two years and in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election.[14][15]

”

Historical party control[edit]

Republicans won control of the North Carolina State Senate in 2010. In 2022, they won a 30-20 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the North Carolina Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

North Carolina State Senate election results: 1992-2022

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22
Democrats	39	26	30	35	35	28	29	31	30	19	18	16	15	21	22	20
Republicans	11	24	20	15	15	22	21	19	20	31	32	34	35	29	28	30

Trifecta history[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, North Carolina was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 1993-1994, 1999-2010
• Republican trifecta: 2013-2016
• Divided government: 1992, 1995-1998, 2011-2012, 2017-2023

North Carolina Party Control: 1992-2024
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Elections[edit]

Elections by year[edit]

North Carolina state senators serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. North Carolina holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

2024[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and the primary runoff was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was December 15, 2023.

2022[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was held on May 17, 2022. A primary runoff was scheduled to be held on July 5, 2022. The filing deadline was March 4, 2022.

In the November 2022 election, the Republican Party expanded its majority by two seats, from 28-22 to 30-20.

North Carolina State Senate
Party		As of November 8, 2022	After November 9, 2022
	Democratic Party	22	20
	Republican Party	28	30
Total		50	50

2020[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline was December 20, 2019.

In the November 2020 election, the Republicans lost one seat in the North Carolina State Senate but retained a 28-22 majority.

North Carolina State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	21	22
	Republican Party	29	28
Total		50	50

2018[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and a primary runoff took place on June 26, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was February 28, 2018.^[16][17]

In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost six seats but maintained control of the North Carolina State Senate.

North Carolina State Senate
Party		As of November 6, 2018	After November 7, 2018
	Democratic Party	15	21
	Republican Party	35	29
Total		50	50

2016[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.^[18] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.^[19] All 50 seats in the North Carolina State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 34-16 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 35-15 majority.

North Carolina State Senate
Party		As of November 7, 2016	After November 8, 2016
	Democratic Party	16	15
	Republican Party	34	35
Total		50	50

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 33-17 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 34-16 majority. North Carolina State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 17 16      Republican Party 33 34 Total 50 50 2012[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was February 29, 2012. A total of 50 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 31-19 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 32-18 majority. North Carolina State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 19 18      Republican Party 31 32 Total 50 50 During the 2012 election, the total value of contributions to the 129 Senate candidates was $15,133,676. The top 10 contributors were:[20] 2012 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Republican Party $2,872,503 North Carolina Democratic Party $301,275 Randy Ramsey $257,908 Nationwide $138,000 NC State Democratic Caucus $135,584 North Carolina Medical Society $112,250 North Carolina Hospital Association $106,250 North Carolina Association of Realtors $105,750 North Carolina Farm Bureau $103,200 North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus $97,735 The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election. 2012 Margin of Victory, North Carolina State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 1 William Cook 0% 87,449 Stan White District 12 Ronald Rabin 2% 74,146 Brad Salmon District 25 Gene McLaurin 6% 84,066 Gene McIntyre District 17 Tamara Barringer 7.3% 106,399 Erv Portman District 19 Wesley Meredith 7.8% 69,244 George Tatum District 9 Thomas Goolsby 8.3% 97,772 Deb Butler District 18 Chad Barefoot 11.8% 92,770 Doug Berger District 47 Ralph Hise 12.9% 82,214 Phil Feagan District 50 Jim Davis 14.2% 88,294 John Snow District 46 Warren Daniel 14.7% 78,457 John T. McDevitt 2010[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The primary runoff was held on June 22, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was February 26, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 30-20 majority. Democrats lost 11 seats in the election, giving Republicans a 31-19 majority. North Carolina State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 30 19      Republican Party 20 31 Total 50 50 During the 2010 election, the total value of contributions to the 137 Senate candidates was $18,614,595. The top 10 contributors were:[21] 2010 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Republican Party $2,171,725 North Carolina Democratic Party $1,851,252 North Carolina Democratic Party Caucus $562,126 Bordeaux, Frankie L $477,675 North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus $360,908 North Carolina Democratic Party Senate Caucus $350,810 North Carolina Republican Party Senatorial Trust $245,781 Jackson, Brent $221,410 Goolsby, Thomas C $169,316 North Carolina Medical Society $154,500 2008[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 6, 2008, and a general election on November 6, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to the 115 Senate candidates was $15,991,201. The top 10 contributors were:[22] 2008 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Democratic Party $1,953,530 North Carolina Democratic Senate Cmte $1,088,751 North Carolina Republican Party $569,871 Soles Jr, R C $341,000 Reeves, Nena W $244,274 North Carolina Republican Senate Cmte $206,436 Citizens for Higher Education $198,000 Rucho, Robert A $170,000 North Carolina Medical Society $146,000 Nichols, Monroe Jackson $131,000 2006[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 2, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to the 99 Senate candidates was $14,697,182. The top 10 contributors were:[23] 2006 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Democratic Party $1,735,712 North Carolina Democratic Senate Cmte $902,979 North Carolina Republican Party $392,766 Queen, Joe Sam $191,073 North Carolina Association of Realtors $189,750 Citizens for Higher Education $178,250 North Carolina Medical Society $138,859 North Carolina Home Builders Association $128,550 North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers $128,500 Bank of America $121,200 2004[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on July 20, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to the 137 Senate candidates was $13,819,791. The top 10 contributors were:[24] 2004 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Democratic Party $1,851,975 North Carolina Democratic Senate Cmte $638,428 Harris, Oscar N $287,352 Mumma, Christine $279,513 Queen, Joe Sam $278,400 North Carolina Republican Party $264,603 Citizens for Higher Education $142,000 Duke Energy $108,500 North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers $105,000 Testa, James (Jim) $100,000 2002[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 11, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to the 172 Senate candidates was $12,996,012. The top 10 contributors were:[25] 2002 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Democratic Party $2,083,272 North Carolina Democratic Executive Cmte - Senate $543,136 Pittenger, Robert $401,300 Smith, Fred $318,919 Queen, Joe Sam $250,000 Odom, T L (Fountain) $151,000 Moore, Tony P $101,500 Duke Energy $92,000 Love, Jimmy L $90,723 North Carolina Association of Realtors $89,200 2000[edit] See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 2, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to the 111 Senate candidates was $9,180,706. The top 10 contributors were:[26] 2000 Donors, North Carolina State Senate Donor Amount North Carolina Democratic Executive Cmte - Senate $1,760,153 North Carolina Democratic Executive Cmte - House $283,082 North Carolina Medical Society $84,000 Bank of America $74,000 Duke Energy $63,000 North Carolina Republican Party $61,914 Hipps, David G $61,000 Carolina Power & Light $54,000 Bellsouth $53,000 Ledbetter, Jesse $51,000

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the General Assembly of North Carolina, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement.^[27][28]

When making an appointment, the governor must make a decision from a list of recommended candidates submitted by the political party committee that last held the vacant seat.^[29] The appointment must be made within seven days of receiving a list of recommended candidates.^[28] The person selected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.^[28]

See sources: North Carolina Const. Art. 2, Sec. 10 and North Carolina Gen. Stat. § 163-11

District map[edit]

See also: North Carolina state legislative districts

The state of North Carolina has 170 legislative districts. Each district elects one legislator. The state Senate has 50 districts and the state House has 120 districts.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

The map below shows this district's current boundaries, not those adopted for the 2024 election cycle.

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in North Carolina

In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by the governor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.^[30]

State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:^[30]

• Districts must be contiguous and compact.
• Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
• Communities of interest should be taken into account.

There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.^[30]

2020-2023[edit]

See also: Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2020 census

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.^[1] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.^[31] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the State Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.^[32] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.^{[33][34][35][36]} WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."^[37]

The state redrew its district boundaries after the state supreme court overturned its 2022 decision that North Carolina's enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering.

As a result of state supreme court elections in 2022, the court flipped from a 4-3 Democratic majority to a 5-2 Republican majority. In its ruling, the court said, "we hold that partisan gerrymandering claims present a political question that is nonjusticiable under the North Carolina Constitution. Accordingly, the decision of this Court in Harper I is overruled. We affirm the three judge panel’s 11 January 2022 Judgment concluding, inter alia, that partisan gerrymandering claims are nonjusticiable, political questions and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

Reactions to 2023 state legislative maps[edit]

The Carolina Journal's Alex Baltzegar reported that "The John Locke Foundation recently released its annual Civitas Partisan Index scores for the legislative maps, which found there to be 28 Republican-leaning seats, 17 Democrat-leaning seats, and five toss-ups in the state Senate map."^[1] Baltzegar also reported that "The new state House map would yield approximately 69 Republican and 48 Democratic seats, with three being in the swing category, according to Civitas’ CPI ratings. However, state House districts are smaller, and political outcomes vary to a higher degree. Many of the “lean” Republican or Democrat seats could be won by either party, and political shifts and trends will influence certain districts in the future."^[1]

State Rep. Tim Longest (D) said, “This map secures more Republican seats than 100,000 randomly generated maps. That is unexplainable by geography, deliberately designed to maximize advantage."^[38]

WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that "Republican Sen. Ralph Hise, a co-chair of the Senate's redistricting committee, maintained that the maps were drawn applying traditional redistricting criteria, such as maintaining equal population across districts and minimizing the splitting of municipalities and precincts."^[39]

District map after the 2020 redistricting cycle[edit]

Below is the state House map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.

2010-2018[edit]

See also: Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2010 census

In June 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed a federal district court decision finding that 28 state legislative districts (including nine state Senate districts and 19 state House districts) had been subject to an illegal racial gerrymander. The district court then ordered state lawmakers to draft remedial maps for use in the 2018 election cycle. The legislature adopted new state House and Senate district maps on August 30, 2017. On October 26, 2017, the district court appointed an individual, known as a special master, "to assist the Court in further evaluating and, if necessary, redrawing" the revised district maps. On January 19, 2018, the district court issued an order adopting the special master's recommendations, which included redrawn maps for Senate Districts 21 and 28 and House Districts 21, 36, 37, 40, 41, 57, and 105. These were further revisions to the remedial maps adopted by the legislature. On February 6, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a partial stay against the district court's order. The stay applied to five revised state House districts in Wake and Mecklenburg counties (four in Wake County, one in Mecklenburg). The four remaining district maps adopted by the district court (in Hoke, Cumberland, Guilford, Sampson, and Wayne counties) were permitted to stand. On June 28, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a per curiam ruling in North Carolina v. Covington, affirming in part and remanding in part the district court decision. This allowed the court's order to stand as it applied to districts in Hoke, Cumberland, Guilford, Sampson, and Wayne counties but overturned the district court's decision as it applied to districts in Wake and Mecklenburg counties. For more information, see this article.

North Carolina received its local census data on March 1, 2011. The Republican-controlled legislature began the redistricting process on July 11, 2011, when Republicans released their proposed maps. Each chamber's final map passed through the General Assembly on July 27, 2011. The U.S. Department of Justice pre-cleared the plan on November 1, 2011, but lawsuits followed, as Democrats and community groups charged that Republicans had illegally packed black voters into districts to weaken their voting power.

Sessions[edit]

Legislation[edit]

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the North Carolina State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in North Carolina by year[edit]

2024[edit]

See also: 2024 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on April 24, 2024, and adjourn on July 31, 2024.

2023[edit]

See also: 2023 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on October 25, 2023.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2022[edit] See also: 2022 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on May 18, 2022, and adjourn on July 1, 2022. 2021[edit] See also: 2021 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2021, and adjourn on December 30, 2021. 2020[edit] See also: 2020 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on April 28, 2020, and adjourn on September 3, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic[edit] See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 2019[edit] See also: 2019 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through October 31, 2019. It reconvened from November 13-15 over redistricting. It was expected to reconvene on January 14, 2020, over redistricting, vetoes, and healthcare. 2018[edit] See also: 2018 North Carolina legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through December 27, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017[edit] See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions and Redistricting in North Carolina In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through June 30, 2017. Before the legislature adjourned its regular scheduled session, the legislature scheduled the following additional session dates: August 3, August 18 to August 25, August 28 to August 31, and October 4 to October 17.[40] 2016[edit] See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from April 25 through July 1. The Legislature held a two-day special session from February 18-19 to redraw Congressional district maps.[41] The Legislature held a special session on March 23 to discuss Charlotte's LGBT bathroom ordinance that would have went into effect on April 1. The ordinance would have allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of their choosing by the gender with which they identify.[42] Both the Senate and House passed legislation that prevents local governments from setting up their own anti-discrimination rules.[43] Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed the bill on March 23.[44] The bill was repealed in March 2017.[45] 2015[edit] See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 14 through September 30. Major issues in 2015[edit] Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included the budget shortfall, Medicaid expansion, increased teacher pay, coal ash clean up, and reforming the state's tax structure.[46] Legislators and Governor Pat McCrory (R) disagreed over religious exemptions for local officials issuing marriage licenses, which is detailed here. 2014[edit] See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from May 14 through August 20. Major issues in 2014[edit] Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included financing the $445 million state budget shortfall, teacher pay, Medicaid, and coal ash ponds.[47] 2013[edit] See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to July 26. Major issues in 2013[edit] Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included tax reform, cutting government regulations, and reshaping the state's public schools.[48] 2012[edit] See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature convened on May 16 and adjourned July 3. 2011[edit] See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the legislature was in regular session from January 26 to June 18.[49] A special session dealing with redistricting began July 13 and ended July 28. The redistricting session covered more than just redistricting, with Republicans overriding five of Governor Perdue's (D) vetoes. Some of the overturned vetoes included the Women's Right to Know Act and state regulatory overhaul. Democratic lawmakers achieved victory in sustaining the veto on the voter I.D. bill.[50] A second special session was called for September 12 to consider constitutional amendments, including a potential ban on same-sex marriage.[50] 2010[edit] See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the legislature was in session from May 12 to July 11.[51]

About legislative sessions in North Carolina[edit]

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[52] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Section 11 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution establishes that the General Assembly of North Carolina, which the Senate is a part of, is to convene a new regular session every two years, and that the dates for these sessions are to be set by law. Sessions in the General Assembly of North Carolina last two years and begin on odd numbered years after elections. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.^[53]

Legislative roles and procedures[edit]

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

Veto overrides[edit]

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in North Carolina are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Three-fifths of members in both chambers.

Three-fifths of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 72 of the 120 members in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 30 of the 50 members in the North Carolina State Senate. North Carolina is one of seven states that requires a three-fifths vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

According to Article II, Section 22 of the North Carolina Constitution, vetoes can be overridden in a special veto session that the governor must call if he or she vetoes a bill after the legislature has adjourned. If the governor does not reconvene the legislature, the bill shall become law. If a majority of legislators in both chambers sign a request saying that the session is unnecessary, then the governor does not have to call it.

Authority: Article II, Section 22 of the North Carolina Constitution.

"If the Governor approves, the Governor shall sign it and it shall become a law; but if not, the Governor shall return it with objections, together with a veto message stating the reasons for such objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, which shall enter the objections and veto message at large on its journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration three-fifths of the members of that house present and voting shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections and veto message, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered; and if approved by three-fifths of the members of that house present and voting, it shall become a law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor."

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: North Carolina state budget and finances

North Carolina on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[54]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in October.
2. State agency budget requests are submitted in December.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the North Carolina State Legislature in March.
4. The legislature adopts a budget between June and August. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
5. The biennial budget cycle begins in July.

North Carolina is one of six states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority.^[54][55]

The governor is constitutionally and statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. Likewise, the legislature is constitutionally and statutorily required to pass a balanced budget.^[54]

Committees[edit]

See also: List of committees in North Carolina state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The North Carolina State Senate has 18 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments[edit]

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the North Carolina Constitution can be amended:

See also: Article XIII of the North Carolina Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in North Carolina

The North Carolina Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. North Carolina requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

Legislature[edit]

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the North Carolina General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 72 votes in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 30 votes in the North Carolina State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention[edit]

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Article XIII of the North Carolina Constitution, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote vote of both chambers of state Legislature is required to place a constitutional convention question on the ballot. A simple majority vote is required for voters to approve the question. Any amendments proposed by a constitutional convention also require voter approval.

2025 measures:

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

2024 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.

See also: North Carolina 2024 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

North Carolina Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 30	Yes votes: 40 (80.0%)	No votes: 4 (8.0%)	Yes: 10; No: 4	Yes: 30; No: 0
House:	Required: 72	Yes votes: 99 (82.5%)	No votes: 12 (10.0%)	Yes: 32; No: 12	Yes: 67; No: 0

See also[edit]

Elections	North Carolina State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024 North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022 North Carolina State Senate elections, 2020 North Carolina State Senate elections, 2018	General Assembly of North Carolina North Carolina House of Representatives Governor of North Carolina North Carolina Supreme Court	State legislative elections: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures

External links[edit]

• General Assembly of North Carolina
• North Carolina State Senate
• North Carolina House of Representatives

Footnotes[edit]

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