On November 19, the N.C. Legislature will reconvene in Raleigh for a three-day session. It is crucial that all LWVNC members contact their elected state leaders and urge them NOT to override the veto of HB 10. Please email state representatives who may be undecided, as an override could result in funding cuts for public schools in counties with few or no private school options.  

SAMPLE SCRIPT: 
Hello. My name is ______. 

Last month, Governor Cooper vetoed House Bill 10 because it would divert $4 billion of the public’s money over the next decade and hurt all public schools - especially those in rural counties.  

I join others across the state in supporting Governor Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10. Now is not the time to TRIPLE taxpayer spending on private schools, thereby providing hundreds of millions of dollars to wealthy families for private school vouchers. These are dollars that should stay in our public schools. 

With all the immediate needs our state faces following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, I am asking that you commit to sustaining Governor Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10. Our public dollars must be spent on public education and our other pressing needs.
 

Top Priorities: Most of these representatives serve rural counties that are likely to lose funding in the 2025-26 school year and beyond.   

• Rep. Shelly Willingham    Shelly.Willingham [at] ncleg.gov (serves Bertie, Edgecombe, and Martin counties; Edgecombe and Martin have NO private schools)  

• Rep. Michael Wray Michael.Wray [at] ncleg.gov ( )  (serves Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties)    

• Rep. Ray Pickett Ray.Pickett [at] ncleg.gov   (serves Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga counties; have NO private schools and area was devastated by Hurricane Helene)    

• Rep. Stephen Ross   Stephen.Ross [at] ncleg.gov  (serves Alamance County)    

• Rep. Kevin Crutchfield    Kevin.Crutchfield [at] ncleg.gov (serves Cabarrus and Rowan counties; he did not vote on the bill previously)    

• Rep. Karl Gillespie    Karl.Gillespie [at] ncleg.gov  (serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon counties)      

• Rep  Mark Pless Mark.Pless [at] ncleg.gov  (serves Haywood and Madison counties)     

• Rep. Allen Chesser  Allen.Chesser [at] ncleg.gov (serves Nash County)   

Please take action by November 18. We have a small window to make our voices heard. Tell the above representatives to sustain the veto on HB 10.

Importance of Public Education: The League of Women Voters of North Carolina has a strong position on public education, arguing that it is a basic right of all children; that schools need to be fully funded; and that taxpayer money should not be used for private schools and scholarships. Thus, LWVNC opposes allocating additional funding to Opportunity Scholarships.  

Background on the Opportunity Scholarship (Voucher) Program: The program created state-funded vouchers to provide choice to low-income families to attend private schools. In 2023-24, $185 million was allocated to eligible families. The current state budget created by the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) removed any income limitation, allowing any family to apply for a voucher for the 2024-25 school year. However, there was only enough money in the budget to provide vouchers to some of the families earning up to $115,000. Most families with a higher income were put on a waitlist. In September, the NCGA passed HB 10 to increase the Opportunity Scholarship Program budget, allocating an additional $248 million to fund requests from all families on the waitlist, regardless of income level. On September 20, Governor Cooper vetoed HB 10. There are many reasons to oppose allocating $248 million for vouchers to wealthy families. This money could instead be used: 

• To support public schools by Increasing teacher pay by more than 3.5% -or- by adding more than 575 counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists, 700 teacher assistants, and reinstating master's pay for teachers
   
• To rebuild the schools, roads, and other critical infrastructure in western North Carolina that was devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Questions? Please contact LWVNC Public Education Action Team Co-Chair Jeanne Smith at communications [at] lwvnc.org.