How this NC legislative session compares to others

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Lawmakers have left Raleigh for a summer break, bringing an end to what Democrats call one of the least productive sessions of all time.

“I think [Republicans] have actually been in a stalemate and have been using each other’s bills to go ahead and fight with one another, and that is why we still don’t have a budget,” top Democratic Senator Sydney Batch said.

“I don’t really think too much about what Senate Democrats think one way or the other,” Republican House Speaker Destin Hall said.

Republicans say it’s been a productive six months.

“I’m satisfied that we’ve gotten done what we could reach an agreement on,” top Republican Senator Phil Berger said.

“I think it was a normal session in terms of productivity for what you see when we don’t have a supermajority in one chamber,” Representative Hall said.

In total, 58 bills landed on Governor Josh Stein’s desk. During the last legislative session, lawmakers sent 131 bills to the Governor. Despite the major drop in that number, Senator Berger says productivity isn’t measured by the number of bills passing through.

Democrats strongly disagree.

“I think you actually can,” Senator Julie Mayfield said.

“That is the most ridiculous thing that I’ve heard in quite a while and that’s saying a lot coming out of this chamber,” Senator Sydney Batch added.

Democrats are also calling out Republicans for not passing a budget when they control both chambers.

“This is our job and the people who lead this chamber, in fact nobody in this chamber, would run their business the way they run this,” Senator Mayfield said.

But top Republicans both say that work continues.

“My preference would’ve been that we move forward with a full budget, we’re unable to do that at this time, we’ll see how things go over the next weeks and months,” Senator Berger said.

“The disappointing part at this point is not having the budget done but we’ll continue to work on it,” Representative Hall said.

Republicans also floated the idea of mini budgets but didn’t get any of those passed either.