Press Releases

Today, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Alexandria E. Leake to serve as District Court Judge in Judicial District 35, serving Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties. Leake will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Hal Harrison.“I am grateful for Allie Leake’s service to her community and her willingness to step up,” said Governor Cooper. “She will be a great addition to the bench and serve the people of western North Carolina with distinction.”

Tonight, Governor Roy Cooper was the final speaker before Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for President at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

As North Carolina legislators consider expanding the state’s private school voucher program, alarming outcomes from other states serve as a stark warning of the potential dangers. The dire consequences of Republican private school voucher schemes are becoming clear across the country. Private school voucher program expansions in other states continue to fail, leading to disastrous academic and economic impacts for students, taxpayers and communities.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced the 2024-2025 application period for the North Carolina Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award is underway.

With the new school year ramping up in North Carolina, Republican lawmakers remain committed to funneling hundreds of millions more taxpayer dollars into vouchers for unaccountable, unregulated private schools. Even though more than 8 out of 10 school-aged children in North Carolina attend public schools every day, Republican legislators are forcing our public schools, educators and students to do more with less.

As Governor Cooper continues the “Year of Public Schools,” school boards from at least 10 school districts are calling on the General Assembly to make meaningful investments in teacher pay and fully fund our public schools instead of further expanding the state’s dangerous taxpayer-funded private school voucher scheme. 

As the school year begins, Governor Roy Cooper will continue “The Year of Public Schools,” highlighting the amazing things happening in North Carolina public schools and urging the legislature to fully fund public education and make meaningful investments in teacher pay.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced the North Carolina Business Committee of Education (NCBCE) has been awarded $4 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand the use of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in high-demand fields.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) Secretary Ronald Penny announced North Carolina will join the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Direct File program for the upcoming tax filing season. Beginning in 2025, eligible North Carolina residents will be able to utilize the free Direct File tool to submit both their both state and federal tax returns directly with the IRS. Approximately 1.25 million North Carolinians will be eligible to use Direct File for the upcoming tax season.

The Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved eight grant requests to local governments totaling $1,650,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 297 jobs, 56 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $234 million in public and private investment.