"Are we willing to help them? It's time," Cooper said in a phrase he repeated several times during what was likely his strong pitch of the evening. But he later acknowledged the second thoughts of Republicans: "Guys, I know we can do this and I know some of you have some concerns. But let's listen to each other and let's get this done in a North Carolina way."

As expected, he also urged lawmakers to agree to put a public school construction bond on the statewide ballot during this legislative session, saying roughly 40 percent of the public schools are at least 50 years old. He and Republican House Speaker Tim Moore have created an unusual alliance in support of a K-12 debt referendum. Senate Republicans have approved an alternate plan without debt.

A bond package "gets hammers swinging all across our state, and still leaves money for good teachers and principals," Cooper said. Although he didn't provide teacher pay details — leaving it to the release of his upcoming budget — Cooper has previously proposed to raise pay to the national average by the early 2020s. Republicans have pointed out that they've raised teacher pay, in some form, five years in a row.