Last week the NCGA overrode the governor’s vetoes on the following 5 bills:
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Senate Bill 747 makes a number of election law changes, including eliminating the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots to arrive after Election Day to be counted. The Democratic National Committee and the NC Democratic Party have filed a lawsuit to stop this bill from taking effect. Plaintiffs in another case filed a second suit.
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Senate Bill 749 restructures the State and County Boards of Election by giving appointment powers to the General Assembly, with an even split of Republicans and Democrats, rather than the governor with a one-seat majority for the governor’s political party.
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Senate Bill 512 makes changes to the appointments to several key state boards, generally taking appointments from the governor and giving appointment authority to the NCGA. Governor Cooper immediately filed a lawsuit to stop the bill from taking effect in Wake County. It also challenges changes to the NC Building Code Council made in H 488 earlier this year.
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Senate Bill 678 rewrites state laws promoting “renewable energy” to say “clean energy” which many argue incentivizes nuclear power.
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House Bill 600 is the annual regulatory reform bill and makes changes to various business and environmental regulations.
Additionally, the backlash continues against a budget provision that limits what NCGA documents are subject to public inspection with even Republican Treasurer Dale Folwell asking for them to change the law. “By allowing individual lawmakers to determine what records are public and what material can be destroyed without ever seeing the sunshine of public view creates a system without standards or accountability,” Folwell said in prepared remarks. “It prevents the public from learning who and what influenced decision-making on their behalf.”
The NCGA will return for votes on new district maps October 24-26th. During this time they could take up other bills and any additional veto overrides.
