After overriding eight of North Carolina Governor Josh Stein’s 14 vetoes in late July, the GOP-led House and Senate adjourned, with Speaker of the House Destin Hall (R- Caldwell) saying there won’t be any more votes until late August.
However, on August 22nd, the Friday before lawmakers were set to return, representatives from Hall’s office, as well as representatives from the office of Senate leader Phil Berger (R- Guilford), said there would be no votes in the upcoming weeks.
Republican lawmakers, with the help of a few Democrats, overrode Stein’s vetoes of the following bills:
- House Bill 549: Clarify Powers of State Auditor.
- House Bill 402: Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs
- Senate Bill 416: Personal Privacy Protection Act
- House Bill 193: Firearm Law Revisions
- House Bill 318: The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act.
- Senate Bill 266: The Power Bill Reduction Act
- House Bill 805: Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors,
- Senate Bill 254: Charter School Changes
With both chambers successfully overriding Stein’s vetoes, those bills are set to become law over the Governor’s objection.
The House has not yet taken veto override votes on: Senate Bill 50, Freedom To Carry NC; Senate Bill 558, Eliminating “Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI)” In Public Higher Education; Senate Bill 227, Eliminating “Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI)” In Public Education; or Senate Bill 153, North Carolina Border Protection Act.
Meanwhile, the following vetoed bills have not been taken up in either chamber: House Bill 171, Equality In State Agencies/Prohibition On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI); House Bill 96, Expedited Removal Of Unauthorized Persons and House Bill 87, Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) with the latter being the most recently vetoed bill by Stein.
Hall has previously stated that the House will not take up any additional vetoed bills until Republicans are sure they have enough votes to override the Governor’s veto. Though Republicans are the majority in both chambers, with a supermajority in the Senate and one member short of that same power in the House, Republicans require the support of at least one Democrat to override Stein’s vetoes. So when the remaining vetoed bills appeared on the House calendar on August 26th, lawmakers, advocates, and attentive citizens assumed that those votes were acquired. However, when the day came, the general assembly was quite empty, and it was announced that those bills would be removed from the calendar for that day and added to the calendar for September 22nd.
Eyes have been on the Democrats, who have already crossed party lines to help Republicans override several of Stein’s vetoes. While some Democrats are being vocal about their plans to help Republicans override some of the vetoed bills that have yet to be voted on, others are asserting that they will help uphold Stein’s veto.
The members of North Carolina’s Legislative Black Caucus released a statement saying that every member has pledged to uphold Stein’s veto of all three anti-DEI bills. All 41 members of the caucus are Democrats. “If enacted,” the statement says, these bills “would send a message to every Black North Carolinian and community of color that their voices, experiences, and future do not matter.”
However, Representative Shelly Willingham (D- Edgecombe) has come out to say he plans to override Stein’s veto of House Bill 87, which opts the state into the federal tax credit given for donations to private school vouchers. Representative Carla Cunningham (D- Mecklenburg), who helped Republicans override five of Stein’s vetoes, voted in favor of House Bill 87 when it first passed the House, but has said she cannot yet comment on whether she will uphold or override the veto.
On the matter of Democrats voting with Republicans to override Stein’s vetoes, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton argues that those who override Stein’s vetoes are going against the will of the people of North Carolina.
“Last November, voters statewide overcame an intense gerrymander to give Governor Stein the power of the veto,” said Clayton. “Any legislator who chooses to deny that power is betraying the will of the people. We will be watching.”
