NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper delivered his fourth and possibly final State of the State Address Monday night.
The General Assembly invited the Democratic governor to speak to a joint meeting of the House and Senate in Raleigh.
The State of the State address happens every two years, and this will be Cooper's fourth since taking office in 2017. The state constitution bars him from seeking reelection in 2024.
Republican legislative leaders announced last week that they had succeeded in one of Cooper's long-sought goals — an agreement on expanding Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.
The speech included an emphasis on transformational investments the state has made in child care, workforce development, and broadband and clean water infrastructure. In his remarks, he also focused on investing in our workforce, which is the bedrock of North Carolina’s economy, growing the clean energy economy, supporting safe, healthy communities, and more.
Lieutenant Governor and Greensboro native Mark Robinson gave the republican response, immediately after.
State of the State Address Takeaways
- In 2022, North Carolina was named number one in the country for business, according to Gov. Cooper.
- Gov. Cooper said North Carolina was the second state in the southeast to put carbon production requirements into law.
- Alamance-Burlington School System counselor named 2023 national school counselor of the year.
- Gov. Cooper says he is working to make sure every home in North Carolina has access to high-speed internet - "Getting more people online means healthier communities," Cooper stated.
- Over the next two years, more than $2.3 billion will be spent to rebuild hundreds of water systems in nearly every single county in the state, according to Gov. Cooper.
- Gov. Cooper backs the Medicaid expansion plan.
- Governor Cooper announced that he will be releasing a comprehensive mental health plan in the coming days.
- In addition, the Governor previewed his budget that “gives teachers and principals double-digit raises, it keeps the buses running, it helps kids with special needs, it keeps schools safe, it does not raise taxes and it balances the budget.”
- Gov. Cooper said in 2021, 51% of children in North Carolina are more likely to die from gunfire than children in the United State as a whole.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It today!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.