NC House Republicans vote to override three more of Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes
The N.C. House of Representatives, convening for votes for the first time since lawmakers left Raleigh at the end of June, voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes of three bills.
Since legislative Republicans secured supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly in April 2023, they’ve overridden 22 vetoes issued by the Democratic governor.
Those bills have included major ones like new abortion restrictions, changes to election laws, a ban on gender transition surgery for minors, a repeal of the state’s permit law for buying handguns, and changes to the state’s masking and campaign finance laws.
The vetoes that the House voted to override on Wednesday involved two bills concerning, among other things, the operation of off-road vehicles and tenancy regulations. The third bill would prohibit state agencies or courts from accepting payments using a central bank digital currency, or participating in any test of a central bank digital currency by any branches of the Federal Reserve.
A few Democrats joined Republicans in voting to override each of Cooper’s vetoes, in votes that otherwise split along party lines.
Each bill will require a successful override vote by the Senate before it can be enacted into law over Cooper’s objections.
The Senate isn’t expected to convene this week, however, so the bills will remain vetoed until the upper chamber comes back and decides to take up the bills for override votes.
Vetoes awaiting action
There are two additional Senate bills that Cooper vetoed. Bills need to be taken up first for override votes by the chamber where they originate.
House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters on Wednesday that he expects the Senate to hold votes on the three bills the House acted on when the Senate returns, and also send the House the two bills it has, for override votes.
Both chambers agreed to adjourn this year’s “short” session at the end of June, after House and Senate Republicans were unable to reach an agreement on a new budget bill to make adjustments to the two-year budget they enacted over Cooper’s veto in October.
Republicans left without resolving differences on other major bills they had wanted to pass, but had some disagreements over, including a bill requiring sheriffs in North Carolina to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a bill to fund all 55,000 families that are on the waiting list to receive a private school voucher for their children, ahead of the new school year that begins this fall.
While adjourning this year’s session, House and Senate Republicans agreed on a few dates every month or so through the end of the year, when lawmakers can return to Raleigh to take up certain bills. The next time lawmakers are slated to return for any potential business is Sept. 9-11.
During Wednesday’s House session, many lawmakers took time to speak on the floor and share updates about their personal and professional lives.
Rep. Jason Saine, a top budget writer and senior member of House leadership who is stepping down next month to take a job in the private sector, delivered an emotional farewell speech. Saine has spent 13 years in the House.
This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 1:03 PM.
