What records show about NC Gov. Josh Stein's schedule outside the public eye
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has been in office for more than four months, sent there by 3 million voters who elected him in November. He has multiple public events every week, but constituents don't always know what he does day to day.
So The News & Observer obtained Stein's daily calendar through a public records request. Records show his schedule is what you'd expect from a governor, though there are still some things we don't know.
Good Sunday morning to you, and Happy Mother's Day. I'm Dawn Vaughan, our Capitol bureau chief, and this is the governor edition of our Under the Dome newsletter.
Some of Stein's schedule was redacted in records sent to The N&O, with the details accompanying his daily calls blacked out.
Aside from that, his calendar shows a lot of logistics, including travel, meetings and public events.
Stein has a daily call, usually from 9 to 10 a.m., that is virtual. In his first few weeks in office, a lot of his schedule was typical for a new governor: rehearsing his inauguration speech, having his portrait taken with First Lady Anna Stein and meetings. It also included travel to Asheville, where Stein talked with President Donald Trump on the tarmac about Helene recovery.
Meetings are held both in the Executive Mansion and the Albemarle Building, where Stein's offices are located. His travel records show departure times, tours and meetings, and even where he has lunch, like JRO's Burgers and Subs in Canton on Jan. 14. He also has reserved blocks of time, usually an hour that is simply 'hold for governor.'
Stein's office announces his public events at least a day in advance, letting the media know times and locations. But there is a lot in Stein's days that isn't announced, and his calendar reveals what else he's doing.
Here's more about what he was doing the first month in office:
▪ Jan. 15, he met with Duke Energy at the mansion, followed by five minutes of travel to a budget meeting at the Office of State Budget and Management on Salisbury Street.
Stein's calendar also reminds him about upcoming sporting events he's interested in, like on Jan. 12, 'FYI: Canes vs. Anaheim Ducks, Lenovo Center.'
▪ Jan. 15 entry: 'FYI/UNC vs. Cal, Dean Dome' at 7 p.m., and a 'hold for governor' from 7-10 p.m. That's about the length of a UNC basketball game. Stein grew up in Chapel Hill and is a UNC fan, as well as a Carolina Hurricanes fan.
▪ Jan. 24: Stein flew to Asheville for this scheduled event: '10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m., Tarmac Greet with President Trump,' his calendar said. Then he flew back to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Stein mentioned the visit in his letter last month to Trump about extending FEMA coverage for Helene recovery.
▪ Jan. 25: Stein went to the funeral for longtime Durham leader Lavonia Allison at White Rock Baptist Church in Durham.
▪ Jan. 27: Stein had a 30-minute call with White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. In an April interview with The N&O, Stein said he has regular phone calls with members of Trump's Cabinet.
Later that same day, Stein's calendar showed he had his own Cabinet meeting at the Department of Transportation building.
▪ Jan. 30: Stein spoke at the funeral for the late judge and Rep. Joe John, a Raleigh Democrat, at Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh.
▪ Jan. 31: On the last day of Stein's first month in office, Stein flew to Mount Airy to speak at the ribbon cutting for the Surry-Yadkin Works FLEET Program at Altec Industries, then flew from there to Wilkes County and then made a small business grant announcement in Boone. He flew back to RDU that afternoon and ended the workday with a Housing and Urban Development call.
Stein also interviewed job candidates his first month in office, and held several more meetings about the budget. He proposed his budget in February. He also gave media briefings about winter storms.
Some things he did that weren't on his schedule are all the calls he makes to lawmakers, including many Republicans, about legislation.
As I previously reported, Republicans say that Stein talks to them regularly about legislation, rather than waiting until a bill gets to his desk.
The Roman Catholic Church named a new pope on Thursday, Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost. Stein shared this comment on social media:
'I join people across North Carolina in welcoming the new Pope Leo XIV. May his papacy be one of grace, compassion, and humility in these challenging times.'
Thanks for reading. Contact me at dvaughan@newsobserver.com. Not a newsletter subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
And listen to our Under the Dome podcast, which is published every Tuesday morning on all podcast platforms and is previewed in your Tuesday Under the Dome newsletter. On our new May 13 episode, my guest is a lawmaker, Rep. Jake Johnson, a Polk County Republican.
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