A new bill filed by State Sen. Eddie D. Settle seeks to require schools to display flags and provide daily Pledge of Allegiance recitations with age-appropriate instruction, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 123 on Feb. 21 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Flags at Every School.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance and in every classroom in public, charter, regional, and laboratory schools across North Carolina. It requires that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily and calls for age-appropriate instruction on the flags’ and Pledge’s historical origins. Schools cannot compel individuals to stand, salute, or recite the Pledge. The bill allocates $1 million in one-time funds for the 2025-26 fiscal year and $100,000 annually thereafter to procure flags for public schools. Additionally, $1,000 is allocated to the University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors for flags in secondary schools under its control. The law takes effect with the 2025-26 school year.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Carl Ford and Settle proposed the most bills (seven) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Settle graduated from Wilkes Community College in 1979 with an AA.
Settle, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 36th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Paul Newton.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie D. Settle, Carl Ford, and W. Ted Alexander | SB 123 | 02/21/2025 | Flags at Every School. |
| Eddie D. Settle, Michael A. Lazzara, and Vickie Sawyer | SB 113 | 02/17/2025 | Removal of Squatters from Private Property. |
| Eddie D. Settle, Michael A. Lazzara, and Timothy D. Moffitt | SB 71 | 02/11/2025 | Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons. |
| Eddie D. Settle, Bobby Hanig, and Timothy D. Moffitt | SB 58 | 02/05/2025 | AG/Restrict Challenge to Presidential EOs. |
| Eddie D. Settle, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and Warren Daniel | SB 50 | 02/04/2025 | Freedom to Carry NC. |
| Eddie D. Settle, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and Todd Johnson | SB 51 | 02/04/2025 | Maintain NAIC Accreditation of DOI.-AB |
| Eddie D. Settle | SB 41 | 02/03/2025 | 36th Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
