As the NC General Assembly short session 2026 opens, a Wake Forest commissioner walks through the budget impasse, downzoning fixes, a property tax constitutional amendment, and concealed carry, and why none of it stops at the town line.
The NC General Assembly short session 2026 is about to begin, starting on Tuesday April 21, and is slated to review several bills and other legislative matters that could have profound impacts for Wake Forest.
We often hear from local government that we at the municipal level may not have control over certain issues, and that we operate under the jurisdiction of our state leaders. And that is precisely why it is so important that we focus on the potential legislation coming through the pipeline from the General Assembly. As lawmakers, we need to make sure we know what to expect and to make sure Wake Forest is prepared for significant changes in the law. But as residents, it is our job to make sure our voices are heard by our state leaders.
Here is a list of key items in the NC General Assembly short session 2026 agenda that matter to Wake Forest.
NC General Assembly Short Session 2026: State Budget Impasse
As of now, North Carolina is the only state in the union that has not passed a budget, which is causing significant financial strain down to the local level and across state agencies. For example, the NC Department of Transportation lacks the funds for competing projects and has been forced to prioritize some while effectively defunding others.
The state’s Medicaid program, serving over 3 million North Carolinians, is projected to run out of money in May 2026, and the NC Department of Health and Human Services has asked for over $300 million in funding to prevent any disruptions to healthcare access. Overall salary raises and cost of living adjustments for teachers remain frozen, causing strain across schools and school districts at the county and local level. State employees similarly are going without anticipated pay raises, and agency leaders have raised concerns that that is hampering the state’s ability to manage public services, including law enforcement. Other public programs have also stalled, like the Children of Wartime Veterans scholarship and the state’s annual Farm Bill.
Governor Stein has proposed a 12-page Critical Needs Budget, seeking $319 million to fund Medicaid and healthcare costs, $397 million in education and teacher pay, $211 million for public safety and law enforcement, and $80 million for state operations and employees, including going towards the NC Department of Adult Corrections.
Downzoning Reform: SB 382 and SB 587 in the Short Session 2026
You may have heard of the “downzoning” issue, which has posed a profound roadblock for cities and towns, especially Wake Forest, in controlling development and growth. “Downzoning” is broadly defined as any land use amendment that reduces the density or permitted uses on a piece of property, or that creates any non-conformities. In December 2024, the NC General Assembly passed SB 382, which made it illegal for municipalities to downzone property without the consent from all affected property owners. In other words, if a piece of property is zoned for a high-density housing development and the town wanted to turn that into, say, an open space or a park, it’s now illegal to do that if any of the property owners object. As you can imagine, SB 382 has caused serious difficulties in reining in growth and making it difficult for the Town to pass its Unified Development Ordinance.
To fix this, at least in part, the NC Senate unanimously passed SB 587 in May of last year, and that bill was referred to the NC House. One of the key fixes found in SB 587 is that it would allow downzoning “initiated by the local government.” In other words, SB 587 would put that power back in the hands of the Town to regulate its zoning ordinances.
Property Tax Constitutional Amendment
Last month, a House Select Committee approved a draft amendment to the North Carolina Constitution concerning the authority of counties and municipalities to control property taxes. Many lawmakers and news sources have portrayed this amendment as simply prohibiting local governments from being able to raise property taxes, but in reality that’s not quite accurate.
Instead, the proposed constitutional amendment would require the North Carolina General Assembly, at some unknown future date, to “enact general laws limiting the amount by which the levy of taxes on property may increase, which may include exceptions.” What those laws would be are completely unknown, as there have been no drafts of any such laws that have been made publicly available. Regardless of what any potential legislation would look like, the constitutional amendment would take the power of the purse away from local governments and give it to the state.
Passing the constitutional amendment would require a three-fifths vote in both the NC House and Senate, after which the vote would come to the voters this November.
NC General Assembly Short Session 2026: Concealed Carry (SB 50)
SB 50, or the Freedom to Carry NC Act, would make it legal for anyone over the age of 18 to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, background check, or training, as long as the individual is not prohibited from carrying a gun by some other North Carolina law. SB 50 was passed last year but vetoed by Governor Stein in June. The NC Senate voted to override the veto, and SB 50 has been placed on the NC House’s calendar to consider a similar veto override.
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It is unclear now how the NC General Assembly short session 2026 will unfold, which makes it all the more important to keep a close eye on potential and pending legislation coming our way. There are also numerous additional bills on the calendar, which I encourage you to take a look at, and which you can find here. You can also find the legislative calendars and livestreams of their sessions here.
About the Author
Haseeb was elected to the Town of Wake Forest Board of Commissioners in 2025 to a four year term. A North Carolina native, Haseeb has worked as an attorney specializing in employment, civil rights, and disability law, and also served as adjunct faculty teaching trial advocacy for over a decade. Haseeb and his wife Erin also have two pups, Dorian and Sasha. The views expressed in his column are his own.
The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent the views of Wake Forest Matters, the Town of Wake Forest, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners, or Ogletree Deakins.
Haseeb was elected to the Town of Wake Forest Board of Commissioners in 2025 to a four year term. A North Carolina native, Haseeb has worked as an attorney specializing in employment, civil rights, and disability law, and also served as adjunct faculty teaching trial advocacy for over a decade. Haseeb and his wife Erin also have two pups, Dorian and Sasha. The views expressed in his column are his own.
