Overview of the 2023-24 Legislature

North Carolina Senate 

Republicans control the N.C. Senate by a 30-20 supermajority. There are 15 lawyers serving (eight Republicans and seven Democrats). The Senate leadership team is once again led by Sen. President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. The majority leader is Sen. Paul Newton. The majority whips are Sen. Tom McInnis and Sen. Jim Perry. The Democratic leader is Sen. Dan Blue, and the Democrat whip is NCAJ member Sen. Jay Chaudhuri. 

Only six members of the Senate have no previous legislative experience. Fifty percent of senators have served three or more terms in the Senate or House. 

NCAJ Members in the Senate 

• Sen. Sydney Batch (D) District 17 (Wake) Committees: Appropriations on Health and Human Services; Commerce and Insurance; Finance; Health Care; Judiciary; Legislative Ethics Committee; Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government
• Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. (R) District 13 (Columbus, Robeson) Committees: Chairman Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety; Appropriations/Base Budget; Commerce and Insurance; Finance; Health Care; Chairman of Judiciary; Rules and Operations of the Senate; North Carolina Courts Commission; Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations; Co-Chair Of Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety; Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee; Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee; Co-Chair of Joint Legislative Emergency Management Oversight Committee
• Sen. Jay J. Chaudhuri (D) District 15 (Wake) Minority Whip – Committees: Appropriations on Education/Higher Education; Appropriations/Base Budget; Education/Higher Education; Finance; Pensions and Retirement and Aging; Rules and Operations of the Senate; Select Committee on Nominations; Municipal Incorporations Subcommittee of the Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government; Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology; Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements
• Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D) District 13 (Wake) Committees: Agriculture, Energy, and Environment; Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety; Judiciary; State and Local Government
• Sen.  Mujtaba Mohammed (D) District 38 (Mecklenburg) Committees: Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety; Appropriations/Base Budget; Health Care; Judiciary; Redistricting and Elections; Rules and Operations of the Senate; Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety; Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government  

North Carolina House  

Republicans control the N.C. House by a 71-49 majority, one seat short of a super majority. There are 15 lawyers serving (nine Democrats and six Republicans). Rep. Tim Moore remains Speaker of the House and is now the longest consecutively serving Speaker in North Carolina’s history.  Rep. Sarah Stevens is Speaker Pro Tempore. The Majority Leader is Rep. John R. Bell IV. Republican Conference Chair is Rep. Jason Saine.  Rep. Harry Warren will run the Republican’s political caucus operation while Rep. Jon Hardister will serve as Majority Whip.  

NCAJ member Rep. Robert Reives returns as the minority leader for the Democrats.

NCAJ Members in the House 

• Rep. Terence Everitt (D) District 35 (Wake) Committees: Agriculture; Banking; Commerce; Finance; Judiciary 3
• Rep. Destin Hall (R) District 87 (Caldwell) Committees: Energy and Public Utilities; Finance; Chairman of Redistricting; Chairman Of Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; Unemployment Insurance; Co-Chair of Legislative Research Commission; Legislative Services Commission; Co-Chair of Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee
• Rep. Tim Longest (D) District 34 (Wake) Committees: Disaster Recovery and Homeland Security; Education – Universities; Finance; Marine Resources and Aquaculture; Unemployment Insurance
• Rep. Robert Reives (D) District 54 (Chatham, Durham) – House Minority Leader; Committees: Appropriations; Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety; Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs; Marine Resources and Aquaculture; Redistricting; Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; Non- Standing Committees (2023-2024 Session); Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations; Legislative Services Commission; Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee; Revenue Laws Study Committee; Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements

Key 2023 Dates  

Senate Bill Filing Deadlines  

• March 9: Requests for bills into Bill Drafting   

• April 4: Filing of bills   

House Bill Filing Deadlines (not for appropriations or finance bills) 

 • March 22: Requests for bills into Bill Drafting  

 • April 18: Filing of bills  

House Bill Filing Deadlines (appropriations or finance bills) 

 • March 29: Requests for bills into Bill Drafting  

 • April 25: Filing of bills

Crossover deadline is May 4.

Bills that do not involve money (appropriations or revenue) or are not part of a legislative study must pass either the House or the Senate by May 4 in order to be eligible to be passed in the remainder of the Long Session or in the 2024 Short Session. Please note that there are ways around this deadline to pass bills that failed to “cross over” if legislative leaders want those bills considered.