Politics

Senator Thom Tillis was among 20 Senate Republicans who voted against bipartisan legislation to expand Social Security benefits for over 2 million Americans, including teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. The bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act, passed the Senate in December 2024 in a 76-20 vote and was signed into law by President Biden on January 5, 2025.

NC lawmakers filed almost 2,000 bills for this session, laying out their priorities for the year, ranging from education to public safety and voting changes. Here’s a look at a few of the bills that made it in on the final day of filing.

In each category surveyed across partisan, gender, racial, and education groups, more people were against permitless carry than in support. 96% of Democrats, 77% of independents, and 60% of Republicans oppose permitless carry, according to the Everytown poll. 85% of women are against permitless carry, as are 66% of men. In addition to the bulk of North Carolinians opposing permitless carry, the Everytown polling found that 66% of gun owners did as well. 

Democrats have filed bills in the state legislature to uplift families and provide support for children in the state amid GOP attacks on school programs and funding. In recent years, North Carolina has seen over a hundred daycares close due to lack of funding. 

North Carolina Democrats in both the House and the Senate have proposed legislation that would fund public schools, legalize marijuana, and bring transparency to the state legislature. These are all topic areas that have been brought forward before, however, Democrats filing new legislation demonstrates their commitment to these issues.