Eight Vetoes Overturned—So Far

Here’s which vetoes the NC Legislature overturned last week.

Since stepping into the role in January, Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed 14 bills—and last week, the General Assembly successfully overturned eight of them. Republicans control the General Assembly, but still needed to flip at least one Democratic vote to successfully override a veto.

In case you need a refresh on NC politics: Three-fifths of both the House and the Senate are required to override a veto. Senate Republicans meet the threshold as long as all members are present thanks to their 30-20 supermajority. House Republicans are one vote short of a supermajority, sitting at a 71-49 advantage on party lines. 

Despite the lack of a supermajority in the House, Stein’s remaining vetoes aren’t out of the woods yet. If House Republicans can’t convince any Democrats to flip their votes, House Speaker Destin Hall has the ability to put the bills on the back burner until one or more Democrats are absent (aka a “veto garage”)—as well as call a vote on the vetoed bills any time between now and the end of the session in 2026. 

Some of Stein’s remaining vetoes have been overridden in the Senate, but have yet to be called on in the House. Until then, here’s the eight vetoed bills that were overturned in both chambers—and are now law. 

The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act
Local sheriffs must comply with ICE efforts to track down and deport any illegal aliens. Rep. Carla Cunningham was the sole Democrat to vote in favor. 

The Power Bill Reduction Act
This law kills an interim CO2 emissions reduction goal for Duke Energy. The initial bill was focused on making it easier to rebuild homes in floodplains amid the aftermath of Helene, but was stripped of its former language.

Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors
The bill began as a bipartisan act to enforce consent measures for pornographic websites, but shifted to include controversial measures recognizing only two genders (male and female) under law, require schools to give parents the ability to restrict what students can read in the classroom, and create a database of every school’s library. 

Firearm Law Revisions
Trained staff are now able to carry concealed weapons on private school property—with permission from school administrators.

Personal Privacy Protection Act
This law prevents state agencies from collecting or disclosing nonprofit donor information, and imposes penalties on officials who do so. 

Charter School Changes
Although critics say it weakens school accountability, this override will redelegate certain charter school responsibilities from the State Board of Education (governor-appointed) to the Charter School Review Board (legislature-appointed).

Clarify Powers of State Auditor
The state auditor now has access to the records of any nonprofit or private business receiving public funding. 

Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs
Similar to the REINS Act in other states, this law calls for legislative approval of any permanent rule or regulation costing at least $20 million over a five-year period.