North Carolina Senate

Lisa Barnes

RepublicanSenator · District 11

lisa.barnes@ncleg.gov

Running for Reelection · November 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · Register to vote at ncsbe.gov

North Carolina Senate

Lisa Barnes

RepublicanSenator · District 11

lisa.barnes@ncleg.gov

Running for Reelection · November 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · Register to vote at ncsbe.gov

Bills Sponsored

Bills Cosponsored

691

Votes Cast

100%

Party Unity Score

Sponsored Bills (21)

S1076Passed

Rocky Mount/Louisburg Utility Rev./Advisory

This bill restricts how the City of Rocky Mount and Town of Louisburg can use revenues from their electric and natural gas utility systems. It requires these revenues to be used primarily for operating costs, infrastructure improvements, and debt service, while limiting transfers to other municipal funds and prohibiting Louisburg from using electric revenues for economic development projects.

Senate2026-07-02

S1007Introduced

Human Trafficking Omnibus

This bill creates a new statewide human trafficking reporting and response system allowing the public and professionals to report suspected trafficking through multiple channels with AI-assisted analysis and real-time routing to law enforcement. It also imposes a 10% excise tax on materials deemed harmful to minors sold at physical retail locations, with proceeds funding anti-trafficking efforts and domestic violence services, while making technical clarifications about employee training requirements and government device usage.

Senate2026-06-02

S846Engrossed

Deannex Certain Property/Red Oak

This bill removes two specific parcels of land (identified by Nash County parcel numbers) from the Town of Red Oak's municipal boundaries, effective June 30, 2026. After this date, those properties will no longer be subject to Town of Red Oak municipal taxes, though any outstanding tax liens from before the change remain collectible.

Senate2026-05-28

S1080Passed

Lower Taxes for All NC

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would lower North Carolina's maximum income tax rate from 7% to 3.5%. The amendment would be submitted to voters in the November 2026 election, and if approved, would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.

Senate2026-05-21

S1081Introduced

Constitutional Right to Farm

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would add a new section to the North Carolina Constitution explicitly protecting the right of people to engage in farming and forestry activities, including crop cultivation, livestock raising, dairy and apiary production, and timber harvesting. The amendment would be subject to voter approval in the November 2026 general election.

Senate2026-05-18

S991Introduced

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

This bill appropriates $3.85 million in recurring funds to expand workforce training programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across up to 25 community colleges, $4.9 million in nonrecurring funds to implement digital credential systems statewide, and directs ApprenticeshipNC to develop an expedited pathway for apprentices to become teachers.

Senate2026-05-13

S1000Introduced

Environmental Management Commission Staffing

This bill allows the chair of the Environmental Management Commission to hire temporary employees through the state's Temporary Solutions Program. It also reduces the General Fund appropriation to the Department of Environmental Quality by $5,000 annually for dedicated EMC staff.

Senate2026-05-04

S1019Introduced

Grid Utilization

This bill requires North Carolina electric utilities to submit detailed reports analyzing how efficiently they use their existing power grid infrastructure and to propose ways to improve that efficiency through alternatives like energy storage and distributed generation. The Utilities Commission will evaluate these reports and set performance targets to help utilities better utilize current grid assets.

Senate2026-05-04

S1004Introduced

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

This bill expands tuition waivers at North Carolina community colleges to include children (ages 17-24) of law enforcement officers, experienced correctional officers, and firefighters who are actively serving. Previously, tuition waivers were limited to survivors of officers killed in the line of duty or children of officers permanently disabled in service. The new provision applies to all children of these public safety employees, regardless of disability or death status.

Senate2026-05-04

Cosponsored Bills (18)

S474Passed

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium

This bill adjusts which counties must delay using updated property values from 2026 reappraisals for tax purposes. For the 2026-2027 tax year, affected counties must use older property values instead of the new ones. The bill also prevents public service company property values from decreasing in these counties during the moratorium period.

Senate2026-07-08

S558Passed

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Higher Ed

This bill prohibits North Carolina public universities and community colleges from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or programs, requiring employees to affirm certain concepts, or endorsing what the bill defines as 'divisive concepts' related to race and sex. It requires institutions to certify annual compliance and allows instruction on these topics only if the institution makes clear it does not endorse them.

Senate2026-06-24

S227Passed

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education

This bill prohibits North Carolina public schools from teaching, promoting, or requiring professional development related to what it defines as "divisive concepts" — including ideas that individuals should feel guilt based on race or sex, that meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or that character traits should be ascribed to people based on race or sex. Schools must certify annual compliance and cannot maintain offices or employ staff whose primary duties involve promoting these concepts or discriminatory practices.

Senate2026-06-24

S153Passed

North Carolina Border Protection Act

This bill requires North Carolina state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, restricts state-funded benefits and housing assistance to legally authorized residents, verifies immigration status for unemployment benefits, removes liability protections for local governments that adopt sanctuary policies, and prohibits UNC universities from limiting immigration law enforcement on campus.

Senate2026-06-24

S280Engrossed

Dominique Moody Act

The Dominique Moody Act makes comprehensive changes to North Carolina's child welfare system to improve child safety. Key provisions include creating a statewide Child Welfare Case Escalation Team to review high-risk cases, requiring photo/video documentation during abuse investigations, establishing a predictive risk modeling program to identify at-risk children, creating a public dashboard showing county-level child safety data, and requiring public disclosure of child fatalities and near-fatalities with prior protective services contact.

Senate2026-06-22

S889Passed

Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium

This bill delays the use of new property values from 2026 reappraisals in counties with populations over 15,000 for the 2026-2027 tax year, requiring them to use the previous schedule of values instead. Starting in 2027-2028, counties will use the 2026 reappraisal values going forward. The bill also requires county assessors to pay a $20 examination fee to the Department of Revenue.

Senate2026-06-19

S394Engrossed

Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land

This bill prohibits entities from adversarial foreign governments (as defined by federal arms regulations) from purchasing, leasing, or holding agricultural land or property within 50 miles of North Carolina military installations. Entities that owned such land before the law takes effect must register with the Secretary of State and cannot buy additional land. Those acquiring such land after the effective date must divest within one year, or face civil penalties and forced sale through court receivership.

Senate2026-06-09

S316Engrossed

Lower Healthcare Costs

This bill increases healthcare price transparency and protects consumers from unexpected medical bills by requiring hospitals to publicly disclose pricing for common procedures, mandating advance notice of out-of-network providers, limiting facility fees, and establishing good-faith cost estimates for scheduled procedures. It also strengthens insurance appeals processes and removes requirements for certificate-of-need approval for rehabilitation facilities.

Senate2026-05-06

S851Introduced

America's Semiquincentennial License Plate

This bill authorizes North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles to create and issue a special license plate commemorating America's 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial), featuring the phrase 'America 250' and related imagery. Vehicle owners would be able to voluntarily purchase this plate if they choose to.

Senate2026-04-29

Voting Record (691)

691

Votes Cast

410

Yea

Nay

60%

Participation

Absent
H959SenatePassed
Various Education Changes
2025-06-03
Absent
H477SenatePassed
Retirement Death Benefits Rewrite.-AB
2025-05-22
Absent
S761SenatePassed
Confirm CIO
2025-05-22
Absent
S761SenatePassed
Confirm CIO
2025-05-22
Absent
H506SenatePassed
2025 State Investment Modernization Act.-AB
2025-05-22
Absent
H506SenatePassed
2025 State Investment Modernization Act.-AB
2025-05-22
Absent
S765SenatePassed
Confirm Regina Adams/Bd of Review
2025-05-15
Absent
S764SenatePassed
Confirm Chris Ayers/Ex. Dir. Util. Comm. PS
2025-05-15
Absent
S763SenatePassed
Confirm Don van der Vaart/Util. Comm
2025-05-15
Absent
S416SenatePassed
Personal Privacy Protection Act
2025-05-07

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Lisa Barnes

Lisa Barnes

Sponsored Bills (21)

Rocky Mount/Louisburg Utility Rev./Advisory

Human Trafficking Omnibus

Deannex Certain Property/Red Oak

Lower Taxes for All NC

Constitutional Right to Farm

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

Environmental Management Commission Staffing

Grid Utilization

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons

Harrison's Law

North Carolina Farm Act of 2025

Farmers Protection Act

Enhancing Ag. Opportunities in Rural NC

Medicaid Rates/Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Licensing Certain Fire Safety Equip. Work

Office of State Fire Marshal Omnibus Bill.-AB

Energy Security and Affordability Act

Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer

I-95 Toll Prohibition

11th Senatorial District Local Act-1

Cosponsored Bills (18)

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Higher Ed

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education

North Carolina Border Protection Act

Dominique Moody Act

Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium

Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land

Lower Healthcare Costs

America's Semiquincentennial License Plate

SCRIPT Act

Clarify Motor Vehicle Dealer Laws

School Calendar Flexibility:A New Alternative

Women's Safety and Protection Act

APRN Definitions

IBT Reforms

LEO Special Separation Allowance Options

NC REINS Act

Govt Mandates Increase Healthcare Costs

Voting Record (691)