Gov. Cooper set to give what will likely be his last State of the State address tonight

Published 1:39 pm Monday, March 6, 2023

RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is readying for what is likely his last State of the State address.

The General Assembly invited the Democratic governor to speak to a joint meeting of the House and Senate tonight in Raleigh.

The State of the State address happens every two years, and this will be Cooper’s fourth since taking office in 2017. The state constitution bars him from seeking reelection in 2024.

Cooper is likely to highlight his legislative agenda. Republican legislative leaders announced last week that they had succeeded on one of Cooper’s long-sought goals — an agreement on expanding Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.

The address will air live on television and streamed online. So will a prerecorded Republican response, which will be carried out by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. He is widely expected to run to try to succeed Cooper next year.