Legislation introduced by Rep. Marcia Morey would require members of the General Assembly to give up their pay if the state budget is not passed on time, according to the North Carolina State House.
Filed as HB 1039 on April 22 for the 2025 regular session, the bill carries the short title: ‘Const Amend: No Budget No Pay.’
Below, we outline the requirements drawn directly from the bill text, including clarifications to explain what is proposed.
This measure seeks to amend the North Carolina Constitution so that General Assembly members would lose compensation and allowances if the full state budget is not ratified by June 30. Beginning July 1, pay would be suspended, to resume only if a budget is approved or the next regular session convenes, whichever happens first. The proposed amendment would go before voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election, and would be implemented once certified if approved by a majority of voters.
Among the four lawmakers sponsoring HB 1039, Morey introduced the most bills — 39 in all — during the 2025 regular session.
North Carolina’s legislative measures follow a multi-step process before becoming law. First, a lawmaker files a bill, after which it is assigned to a committee for evaluation. It must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber amends the bill after the other has passed it, both chambers must settle on identical language. With final approval from both, the bill proceeds to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the General Assembly is not in session) to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature.
See additional legislation and measures here.
Morey holds a BA from Millikin University and a JD from Northwestern University.
A Democrat, Morey was elected to the North Carolina House in 2017 to represent District 30, succeeding former representative Philip Lehman.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Maria Cervania, and Renée A. Price | HB 1039 | 04/22/2026 | Const Amend: No Budget No Pay. |
| Marcia Morey, Aisha O. Dew, Julia Greenfield, and Julie von Haefen | HB 902 | 04/10/2025 | Free to Learn – Library Bill of Rights Act. |
| Marcia Morey, John M. Blust, and Pricey Harrison | HB 916 | 04/10/2025 | Strengthen Do Not Call/Text Registry. |
| Marcia Morey, B. Ray Jeffers, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 927 | 04/10/2025 | Durham Funding Bill. |
| Marcia Morey, Jordan Lopez, Lindsey Prather, and Tim Longest | HB 970 | 04/10/2025 | Preventing Algorithmic Rent Fixing. |
| Marcia Morey and Maria Cervania | HB 983 | 04/10/2025 | Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Schools. |
| Marcia Morey, Kanika Brown, Maria Cervania, and Renée A. Price | HB 885 | 04/09/2025 | Revise Suspension & Parental Notice Policies. |
| Marcia Morey, Mitchell S. Setzer, Neal Jackson, and Pricey Harrison | HB 828 | 04/08/2025 | Prohibit Prop Bets on College/Amateur Sports. |
| Marcia Morey, B. Ray Jeffers, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 783 | 04/03/2025 | Funds for Sidekicks Academy. |
| Marcia Morey, B. Ray Jeffers, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 731 | 04/02/2025 | Funds for Pauli Murray Center. |
| Marcia Morey, Aisha O. Dew, Mary Belk, and Pricey Harrison | HB 732 | 04/02/2025 | Common Sense Gun Regulations. |
| Marcia Morey, Jordan Lopez, and Zack Hawkins | HB 733 | 04/02/2025 | The Everybody Eats Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Jordan Lopez, Mary Belk, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 735 | 04/02/2025 | Modernize STI Transit Funding. |
| Marcia Morey, Jordan Lopez, Phil Rubin, and Tracy Clark | HB 583 | 03/31/2025 | Law Enforcement/Destroy Certain Firearms. |
| Marcia Morey, Abe Jones, Julia Greenfield, and Renée A. Price | HB 589 | 03/31/2025 | The Second Look Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Julie von Haefen, Pricey Harrison, and Tracy Clark | HB 622 | 03/31/2025 | Limit Excessive Mag Sizes. |
| Marcia Morey and Pricey Harrison | HB 541 | 03/26/2025 | Opt. Top-2 Same-Day Primary Runoff/Elections. |
| Marcia Morey, Allison A. Dahle, Deb Butler, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 501 | 03/24/2025 | Modernize Domestic Violence Protection Order. |
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Pricey Harrison, and Renée A. Price | HB 458 | 03/19/2025 | Improve Enforcement/Migrant Housing. |
| Marcia Morey, Kanika Brown, Maria Cervania, and Pricey Harrison | HB 345 | 03/10/2025 | Rights of Nature/Certain River Basins. |
| Marcia Morey, Aisha O. Dew, Allison A. Dahle, and Bryan Cohn | HB 353 | 03/10/2025 | Fair Minimum Wage Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Beth Helfrich, Lindsey Prather, and Pricey Harrison | HB 322 | 03/06/2025 | Make General Assembly Records Public. |
| Marcia Morey, Abe Jones, Garland E. Pierce, and Hugh Blackwell | HB 335 | 03/06/2025 | Expand Emergency Judge Eligibility. |
| Marcia Morey, Aisha O. Dew, Carolyn G. Logan, and Pricey Harrison | HB 339 | 03/06/2025 | Economic Security Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Cynthia Ball, Mary Belk, and Pricey Harrison | HB 293 | 03/05/2025 | Marine Life Stewardship Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Maria Cervania, and Renée A. Price | HB 303 | 03/05/2025 | Make Corporations Pay What They Owe. |
| Marcia Morey, Eric Ager, Nasif Majeed, and Pricey Harrison | HB 278 | 03/04/2025 | Protect Military Votes. |
| Marcia Morey, Bryan Cohn, Frances Jackson, PhD, and Renée A. Price | HB 267 | 03/03/2025 | Expunging Certain Eviction Records. |
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Pricey Harrison, and Renée A. Price | HB 207 | 02/25/2025 | Remove Barriers to Labor Organizing. |
| Marcia Morey, B. Ray Jeffers, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 208 | 02/25/2025 | Partnership for Children Information Access. |
| Marcia Morey, B. Ray Jeffers, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 209 | 02/25/2025 | Employee Housing/Durham County. |
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Pricey Harrison, and Renée A. Price | HB 178 | 02/24/2025 | Budgeting Accountability and Transparency. |
| Marcia Morey, Deb Butler, Pricey Harrison, and Renée A. Price | HB 180 | 02/24/2025 | Fiscally Responsible & Sustainable Budgeting. |
| Marcia Morey, Pricey Harrison, Renée A. Price, and Tracy Clark | HB 166 | 02/21/2025 | Allow ERPOs to Prevent Suicides & Save Lives. |
| Marcia Morey, Carolyn G. Logan, Jordan Lopez, and Tim Longest | HB 167 | 02/21/2025 | Firearm in Unattended Vehicle/Safely Store. |
| Marcia Morey, Abe Jones, Phil Rubin, and Tim Longest | HB 129 | 02/13/2025 | Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act. |
| Marcia Morey, Carolyn G. Logan, Donna McDowell White, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 109 | 02/12/2025 | Strangulation/Increase Punishment. |
| Marcia Morey, Lindsey Prather, Pricey Harrison, and Zack Hawkins | HB 20 | 01/29/2025 | Fair Maps Act. |
