The General Assembly’s 2025-26 biennium began on Wednesday with the swearing-in of 170 legislators and the reelection of Sen. Phil Berger as Senate president pro tempore, while Rep. Destin Hall was elected Speaker of the House.

In addressing their respective chambers on Opening Day, Berger and Hall pointed to various priorities on which they intend to focus their efforts in the year ahead, including rebuilding western North Carolina, continuing to enhance the state’s economic competitiveness with more tax relief, expanding school choice, and improving public safety.

Rebuild Western North Carolina:

Hall: “I do want to make one thing clear: the number one priority of this body starting today – because today is day one – is doing all we can to rebuild western North Carolina.”

Berger: “This session, we have another issue: we must take a renewed look at how we prepare for and respond to natural disasters in our state… We will work tirelessly to ensure that our response to Hurricane Helene does not leave you behind.”

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, both leaders emphasized the urgent need to prioritize rebuilding efforts in Western North Carolina. 

Berger said he hopes the General Assembly can partner with Gov. Josh Stein and his administration to ensure that failed disaster response by NCORR regarding Hurricanes Florence and Matthew doesn’t become the norm in North Carolina.

Damage is estimated to be upward of $50 billion, of which the General Assembly has so far appropriated roughly $1 billion among three different bills. They plan to focus on long-term recovery, improving disaster preparedness, and ensuring that the region is not left behind in the rebuilding process.

Economy:

Hall: “As we know, we’ve cut taxes again and again. We’ve put more money back in the pockets of the citizens of our state. We’ve got one of the best tax environments in the country, and we’re going to continue to provide tax relief to North Carolinians. But we’ve got to do more than just cut taxes.”

Berger: “We are competing with 49 other states and a multitude of foreign economies. We must continue to pursue policies that create and expand our competitive advantage, policies that have made today’s North Carolina an economic and opportunity powerhouse.”

Hall and Berger pledged a continued commitment to enhancing North Carolina’s economic competitiveness, noting neighboring states’ as competition. Their focus includes providing further tax relief, fostering job growth, and creating an environment that encourages business expansion. 

By reducing the cost of living, particularly in areas like childcare, healthcare, and energy, they aim to make the state more attractive for residents and businesses alike. They also emphasized creating policies that reward high wages and benefits while supporting upward mobility for North Carolinians.

Education: 

Hall: “We’ve done things like expand school choice, letting parents decide where their children go to school, giving parents the opportunity to go to schools that best meet their particular child’s need. And we need to continue to expand that school choice.”

Berger: “Our community colleges and universities are the envy of the nation, producing a talented workforce capable of filling the jobs being created in our dynamic economy. Without a doubt, education continues to be the key that unlocks the door to a brighter future. We must work to improve both educational opportunities and educational outcomes.”

Expanding educational opportunities and improving outcomes remain central to their agenda. In 2024, the state fully funded the opportunity scholarship waitlist, and leaders expressed interest in continuing efforts to expand school choice. 

Both leaders view education as critical to North Carolina’s future, with continued investment in K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities. Hall and Berger are focused on expanding school choice and maintaining the competitive advantage of the UNC system, particularly through its attractive low tuition through programs like NC Promise. 

They also stressed the importance of parental involvement in education, with Hall advocating for policies that incentivize parents to engage more in their children’s academic lives. He said, “Anything that this body can come up with to incentivize parents to be involved in their children’s education, I’m for. And we need to work to do those things because it’s so critical to the success of young kids and their education.”

Security: 

Hall: “Our agenda here, it’s not going to matter very much unless we do the number one thing that government has to do – that’s to keep our people safe… We’ve got to continue to enact those policies to meet the number one obligation of government, and so I hope that we’ll work with the incoming administration in Washington to crack down on gang activity and trafficking and drugs that are devastating so many communities across North Carolina.”

Berger: “We’ve made incredible strides in improving education, facilitating access to healthcare, supporting public safety and law enforcement, reducing burdensome regulations, and providing our citizens with the tools they need to take control of their future.”

Hall emphasized the need to focus on crime prevention and strengthening law enforcement efforts, particularly in addressing gang activity and drug trafficking. He hopes to work with the incoming Trump administration in Washington to crack down on the illegal activity. 

Hall was behind legislation that passed at the end of 2024 that requires all sheriffs across North Carolina to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hall also advocated for school safety with resource officers in every school and investments in technology to make sure students are safe at school.