Josh Stein thought he knew what his top priority as governor would be. Then a huge storm blew through Western North Carolina.
“My first priority has changed because of Hurricane Helene,” Stein said. “I think the number one job will be to work with the Legislature to create packages that, over time, will make a difference in getting Western North Carolina back on its feet so that they can continue to flourish and succeed.”
The Democratic candidate for governor and current N.C. attorney general spoke with business and civic leaders in the Charlotte region Friday at a luncheon hosted by the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club. The group previously heard from Republican candidate Mark Robinson in September and has hosted every NC gubernatorial candidate since 2008.
He pointed out that many communities in Western North Carolina lack drinking water, electricity and intact infrastructure. Even communities with electricity and water are seeing the economic impact of a lack of tourism after the storm.
“There are a lot of people in that community who are still out of power, and we’ve been working on this for a month,” Stein said. “We have to be in it for the long term. It will take a long time for them to come back, but if we are there and persevere, we can do it.”
Public school financing
Second, after Helene’s relief, Stein said his priority is strengthening the state’s public schools — including by increasing teacher salaries.
“We pay our beginning teachers less than every state bordering North Carolina,” Stein said. “This is not a path to long-term success.”
North Carolina currently ranks 48th in the nation in funding per student, trailing neighbors Virginia and South Carolina at $3,000 to $4,000 per student. The state ranks 42nd in the nation when it comes to beginning teacher salaries, according to the National Education Association. This year, beginning teachers will earn $41,000.
The North Carolina General Assembly has expanded funding for the state’s school voucher program by $463 million. Meanwhile, teacher wages increased by an average of just under 3%, which is less than the rate of inflation according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Stein said the state is doing public schools a disservice by expanding funding for private school vouchers without increasing funding for public schools. He also took aim at a position held by Robinson, who favors reducing the money put into administrative positions to pay teachers more, rather than dramatically increasing funding for public schools overall.
“You hear over and over again, ‘Oh, I’m just going to cut the fat out of the public schools and pay teachers more,’ but we don’t pay our principals or assistant principals enough. We don’t have enough school counselors, social workers or nurses,” Stein said. “That’s not the answer. We fail to meet the moment.”
Stein also said he planned to prioritize public safety and increase access to health care.
Stein on abortion, crime, health care
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Reproductive rights: Stein said he would veto any bill the General Assembly introduced to further restrict reproductive health care. The state currently bans abortions after 12 weeks, with some exceptions.
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Crime: He said it is a priority to “recruit and retain well-trained law enforcement officers” to address the ongoing officer shortage in both local police and county sheriff’s offices.
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Healthcare: Stein praised the state’s Medicaid expansion last December and said he aims to reduce medication and hospital costs. “We need to ensure that everyone can get good health care, no matter where they live or how much money they make,” he said.
