Under the Dome: NC Senate has new majority leader. Why top Democrats are praising the pick.
Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I’m Caitlyn Yaede, bringing you today’s newsletter along with Avi Bajpai.
Republicans in the state Senate have chosen a new majority leader — Sen. Michael Lee of Wilmington, who was elected to the role on Tuesday.
Lee replaces Paul Newton, who left the legislature to serve as general counsel for UNC-Chapel Hill last month.
A budget chair from Wilmington currently serving his fifth term, Lee also serves as one of the chairs of the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee.
In a news release, Lee said he was honored to “have the trust and support” of his GOP colleagues and was looking forward to working with every member of the caucus “to help accomplish their priorities and build on the last 14 years of successful policy achievements.”
The chamber’s top Republican, Senate leader Phil Berger, thanked Lee for his willingness to help lead the caucus, and said he was “someone every senator — Republican or Democrat — can turn to for advice and mentorship.”
Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch said she was happy to hear Lee had been chosen for the leadership post, and praised him for always being willing to talk with her and other Democrats, and being receptive to changes she wants to make to bills.
“That doesn’t mean I always get my way, but he is always open to speaking with me about that,” Batch told The News & Observer.
The Democratic leader said she and Lee have been able to “forge a very good relationship” on account of representing swing districts and sharing the “unenviable position” of routinely facing “really competitive” reelection bids and not knowing “if we’re coming back” next session.
Batch said she’s “really enjoyed” working with Lee and looks forward to continuing a productive relationship with him.
Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, the Democratic whip, also noted that Lee has “always been open to ideas on both sides of the aisle” and “committed to robustly debating some of the most (pressing) issues we face in the Senate.”
Chaudhuri told The N&O in a text message that he hopes Lee will embrace ideas Democrats have to offer in his new role as the session progresses.
— Avi Bajpai
JEFF JACKSON JOINS 23 STATES, D.C. IN LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined attorneys general and governors from across the country in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for billions in slashed health care funding.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced nearly $11 billion in budget cuts last week, targeting health care services for infectious disease tracking, mental health, addiction treatment and more.
North Carolina joins 23 states and the District of Columbia in the lawsuit., as the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services predicts the loss of more than 80 jobs and at least $100 million in the state. However, Jackson puts the costs of these cuts higher, saying the state is at risk of losing $230 million in a news release.
Seventy-seven of the state’s 86 local health departments stand to lose funding.
This is the fifth lawsuit Jackson has filed against the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate are advancing legislation that would block the Democratic AG from challenging Trump’s executive orders.
Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi has the full story.
REALITY CHECK: Republicans propose new age restrictions for social media. What does the law say now?
A bill moving through the House seeks to restrict social media use for children under 14 years old, Avi Bajpai reports.
House Bill 301, sponsored by 13 Republicans in the House, would give social media platforms one month to delete accounts and personal information from users under the age of 14. The bill also requires 14- and 15-year-olds to seek parental permission before creating social media accounts.
Social media platforms could face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation under the bill. Currently, most social media platforms require users to be 13 years old to create an account — a precedent set by a 2000 federal rule. But, in recent years, state and federal lawmakers alike have sought to regulate youth social media use.
The bill comes as legislation targeting cellphone use in K-12 schools is also moving through the General Assembly this session.
GOP-LED BILL TARGETS CONTENT OF BOOKS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Reps. John Torbett of Gaston County and Hugh Blackwell of Burke County unveiled broad legislation this week to ban books considered “harmful” in public school libraries, as well as set new restrictions for sex education.
House Bill 595, filed Monday, would prohibit literature that “contains material that is harmful to minors” in public school libraries, while removing language that shields school staff from prosecution. Under the new bill, school librarians could be subject to a Class 1 misdemeanor charge for violations.
The “Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books” bill would also introduce new restrictions on sexual education, including a parental consent requirement. T. Keung Hui has the details.
LEE LILLEY’S NOMINATION FOR SECRETARY OF COMMERCE GOES BEFORE LAWMAKERS
Lee Lilley, Gov. Josh Stein’s secretary of commerce, faced members of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Insurance on Tuesday afternoon.
Lilley, a native of Williamston in Eastern North Carolina, served in the governor’s office under Roy Cooper, starting as legislative director in 2018 before being appointed Director of Economic and Pandemic Recovery in 2021, where he helped oversee spending of $11.5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. He then joined McGuireWoods Consulting, where he became senior vice president.
Lilley fielded questions about Helene recovery Tuesday, including from Rep. Kevin Corbin, who said a sense of urgency was most important to those representing Western North Carolina.
“We will keep that sense of urgency, and it will still take a long time to complete the work we need to complete here,” Lilley said. “We will run fast, but we will be running for a while.”
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
A federal judge ruled on Monday, allowing a lawsuit against the creator of North Carolina’s eCourts to move forward, the Charlotte Observer’s Ryan Oehrli reports. The suit alleges the online record system resulted in extra jail time and multiple arrests on the same warrant.
Fulfilling a long-standing campaign promise, President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month to dismantle the Department of Education. While the fate of the agency remains unclear, the Charlotte Observer’s Rebecca Noel sat down with Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green to learn about what the department’s closure could mean for North Carolina.
Today’s newsletter was by Caitlyn Yaede and Avi Bajpai. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol.
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This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Under the Dome: NC Senate has new majority leader. Why top Democrats are praising the pick.."
