This Short Session: No Budget & No Time to Waste
Next week, lawmakers return to Raleigh for the start of North Carolina’s “short session.”
Traditionally, the short session is exactly what it sounds like: a focused, streamlined period of a couple of months where the General Assembly makes adjustments to the two-year budget passed during the “long session.” It’s a time for the legislature to address new problems, respond to updated economic forecasts, and fine-tune policies that are already in place.
To say that in the simplest way, in a typical year, the heavy lifting is already done, and the short session is just a time to make small adjustments to keep things running smoothly.
But this is not a typical year.
Instead of returning to work to refine a plan already in place, lawmakers are coming back to Raleigh with the hope of finally finishing last year’s work. Right now, North Carolina stands alone with the distinct—and disgraceful—honor of being the only state in the nation without a finalized state budget.
That means, without question, the first order of business in this short session must be passing a responsible, comprehensive budget that meets the urgent needs of North Carolinians.
And at the top of that list is addressing the Medicaid rebase. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has made it clear that without legislative action, the state could run out of funding as early as May. That’s a direct threat to healthcare access for millions of North Carolinians who rely on Medicaid for doctor visits, prescriptions, and lifesaving care.
At the same time, state employees and teachers are still operating on salaries set in 2023, while facing the realities of 2026. The cost of living has gone up, with things like housing, groceries, gas, and childcare all costing more, driven by reckless federal economic decisions, including Donald Trump’s tariff policies and his self-inflected War in Iran.
And just like Republicans in Washington, Republicans here in North Carolina led by Phil Berger are asking you to do more and more with less and less.
You deserve better. And a fair state budget is how we start delivering it.
And, I know. These urgent priorities don’t even begin to scratch the surface. There are countless challenges facing your family and our state that simply cannot be addressed without a functioning budget. From strengthening public schools to investing in our roadways, from supporting rural communities to ensuring law enforcement has the resources and support they need to serve in every corner of North Carolina—none of it moves forward without action.
The short session was never meant to be this. We aren’t supposed to enter these few weeks of legislating with such a long to-do list. But after more than a year of Republican infighting and chaos, this is the situation we’re in.
North Carolinians expect responsibility and results from their leaders, and right now, Republicans are absolutely failing that test.
All 20 Senate Democrats are ready to get back to Raleigh, ready to do the work, and ready to find common ground where possible to deliver a budget that builds a better future for every North Carolinian.
The clock is ticking. The needs are real. And the work must start now.
What Else Happens in Short Session? A Flood of New Bills
Of course, passing a budget isn’t the only thing on the agenda when legislators return to Raleigh next week. Short session is also the last chance for members to introduce new legislation during a biennium, but it does work a little differently than in the long session.
During short session, lawmakers are limited to filing appropriations-related bills, which means just about every proposal has to come with a price tag attached. If it doesn’t impact state spending in some way, it generally doesn’t make the cut.
That, of course, puts even more emphasis on the lack of a state budget, because you can’t really make adjustments to something that was never passed in the first place.
Here’s how the entire bill drafting process during Short Session works:
It starts with an idea. A legislator sees a problem, maybe it’s the rising cost of housing, gaps in healthcare access, or something they’re hearing directly from people back home—and they decide they want to do something about it.
From there, they submit what’s called a bill drafting request. That’s essentially a formal ask to legislative staff to turn that idea into actual legal language. This year, all of those requests had to be submitted in writing no later than 4:00 PM this past Monday, April 13.
So, by that date, every legislator who wanted to file a bill in short session had to get their ideas in the pipeline.
From there, nonpartisan drafting attorneys get to work, translating those ideas into bill text, making sure everything is legally sound, and, in the case of short session, ensuring it includes an appropriations component.
Once those drafts are finished and ready to go, legislators then have a window to formally introduce them during what is called the “filing period.” This year, the filing period opens April 21—the first day of session—and runs through April 30.
And that’s when things really pick up.
Because between those dates, you’ll see a flood of legislation filed. Dozens upon dozens of bills, all at once, as lawmakers roll out what they’ve been working on behind the scenes for the past year.
And, trust me. This year, Senate Democrats have a lot to say.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing a strong slate of bills focused on one of the biggest challenges people are facing right now: affordability. That means lowering everyday costs, easing financial pressure, and making sure people aren’t just scraping by, but actually have a chance to get ahead.
Because whether it’s the budget or individual bills, the goal is always the same: Senate Democrats are trying to make life a little more affordable, a little more stable, and a little more fair for all people across North Carolina.
A Crisis We Can’t Ignore: Black Maternal Health Week
This week is Black Maternal Health Week, a reminder to focus on an issue that shouldn’t still be a problem in 2026: making sure moms survive pregnancy and childbirth.
Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch was at the Governor’s Mansion this week alongside advocates and leaders to recognize the moment—but more importantly, to push for action.
Because here’s the depressing reality we are living in. Black women in North Carolina are still far more likely to face serious complications during pregnancy, and more likely to die, than white women during pregnancy. And black babies, they too are more likely to die than than their white counterparts during childbirth.
That’s not random, and it’s certainly not acceptable.
But Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that we know what the problem is—and we know it can be fixed. The real question is whether we’re willing to do the work.
As we head into short session, this is one of those areas where policy decisions really matter. Investing in maternal health, expanding access to care, and making sure every mom is treated with dignity shouldn’t be controversial. It should be the baseline.
Because at the end of the day, this is simple: every mother and baby deserves to come home safe.
Welcoming Jonah Garson to the NC Senate
Last week, Governor Josh Stein officially appointed Jonah Garson to represent District 23 in the North Carolina Senate and we’re proud to welcome him as the newest member of our Senate Democratic Caucus.
Following the departure of Senator Graig Meyer earlier this year to take on a new role at the Justice Center, the seat representing Orange, Person, and Caswell counties became vacant, triggering the process to fill it.
Under North Carolina law, vacancies like this are filled by local party leaders from the district. In this case, Democratic leaders came together, reviewed candidates, and selected Jonah Garson to step into the role.
That recommendation was then sent to Governor Josh Stein, who made it official last week with Garson’s appointment to the North Carolina Senate.
Now, he’s joining our Democratic caucus at a critical moment.
Garson has already made clear that he’s focused on one of the biggest challenges facing families right now: affordability. And he’s stepping into a session where that issue, along with passing a long-overdue state budget, protecting healthcare access, and supporting teachers and state employees is front and center.
In other words, there’s no easing into this job. We’ve got plenty of work ahead so we can break the Republican supermajority, restore balance, and put an end to the kind of one-party rule that’s left North Carolina without a budget and families without answers.
With Jonah Garson in the Senate, our caucus is back at full strength and we’re more than ready to get to work!
Ways to Contact the Office of Leader Batch
📍 Office: NC General Assembly, 16 W. Jones St., Rm. 1026, Raleigh, NC 27601
📞 Phone: 919-733-5653
📧 Email: Sydney.Batch@ncleg.gov
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