The North Carolina Supreme Court dismissed a plan to use taxpayer funds to fix unconstitutional inequities in education without approval from legislators. The case was originally brought decades ago by students and families from underserved counties asking for full funding for public schools. In 2022, while Democrats held a 4-3 majority, the Supreme Court sided with students and their families, stating that every student has the right to a fully funded public school. However, after Republicans took a 5-2 majority in 2024, the court heard arguments from GOP leaders who argued that only the General Assembly can appropriate state funds. The court's majority ruling was issued by Chief Justice Paul Martin Newby and Associate Justices Phil Berger Jr., Tamara P. Barringer, and Trey Allen, all Republicans.