December 1st marked the beginning of several new laws in North Carolina, ranging from new driving laws, changes in criminal justice, and the regulation of guns on private school grounds.
Some of the new laws passed the NC General Assembly with bipartisan support, others saw resistance from Democrats and have even been vetoed by Governor Josh Stein, though GOP lawmakers were able to override his vetoes.
House Bill 193: Firearm Law Revisions.
House Bill 193 allows staff and volunteers at private schools with concealed carry permits to carry guns on private school grounds, with permission from the school’s board of trustees or administrative director. Stein vetoed the legislation over safety concerns.
“This bill would make our children less safe. Just as we should not allow guns in the General Assembly, we should keep them out of our schools unless they are in the possession of law enforcement,” Stein said in his veto message on the bill. “We cannot substitute the protection offered by well-trained law enforcement officers by asking teachers and school volunteers to step in and respond to crises while armed.”
The original vote ran along party lines in the House, with all Republicans voting in favor and Democrats voting against it. However, Representative Shelly Willingham voted to overturn the governor’s veto of the bill. In the Senate, the initial vote was along the same party lines with the exception of three Democrats. During the veto override, no Democratic Senators voted to override the governor’s veto.
House Bill 307: Iryna’s Law
GOP leaders in the legislature– Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger– quickly pushed a crime omnibus bill, House Bill 307. This bill, whose main sponsor is Representative Sarah Stevens, covers a wide variety of changes including eliminating cashless bail for certain crimes; creating a new category of “violent offenses”, which would require a judge to set specific conditions for an individual to qualify for pre-trial release and require the judge to provide written explanation if they allow defendants to post bail; and, one of the most highlighted provisions, restarting the death penalty in the state.
The bill was praised by Republicans across the country as it sat in the national spotlight. However, Democrats expressed concerns over some of the provisions, saying it would add strain to police departments and courtrooms, which are at times underfunded and or understaffed. Even police officers, many of whom supported the bill, noted they would need more funds to implement the changes in the bill, noting it would result in more people remaining in jails that are already limited in space. The bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers. Stein signed the bill and released a video statement on it, where he said the legislation “lacked vision”.
House Bill 805, Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors.
House Bill 805 was originally a bill to set up safety measures to protect individuals, including children, from sexual exploitation online. The original bill required pornographic websites to set up a method to verify the age of users of the site to ensure they are 18 years or older; obtain written approval from all individuals who appear in videos and photos on their site, and establish a way to efficiently remove images upon request to be completed within 72 hours.
The bill originally had full bipartisan support in the House, however, Republican lawmakers in the Senate modified the bill to feature measures attacking the rights of LGBTQ North Carolinians. The bill also inhibits open discussion of LGBTQ+ identity, racism & racial justice, and more in schools.
All Republicans voted in favor of the modified bill.
Representative Dante Pittman voted in favor of the bill in the House after modification. Stein vetoed the bill, and all Republicans and one Democrat, Representative Nasif Majeed, voted in favor of overturning Gov. Stein’s veto of the bill.
Gov. Stein praised the original version of the bill but railed against the changes added by the House, saying it was the General Assembly engaging in “divisive, job-killing culture wars.”
Lawmakers have been out of session after Republicans refused to answer Stein’s call for a special session to address the Medicaid shortfall. While ignoring the call, Republicans prioritized passing their gerrymandered congressional map at the request of President Donald Trump, which was recently approved in court to be used in the 2026 elections.
With no state budget, no Medicaid funding, and vetoes that have not been overridden, the legislature is set to reconvene on December 15th, though it is unclear what, if anything, they will take up.
