(The Center Square) – Recognition of only two sexes as defined in proposed North Carolina legislation, and three diversity policy bills have fell to the veto of first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
The quartet of rejections on Thursday morning ahead of the holiday weekend came alongside eight bills signed into law. Among those was the Parents Protection Act.
Efforts to overturn all or some of the vetoes will come, said leaders of the Republican majority General Assembly.
“At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the Legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us,” Stein said in a statement. “These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education. Therefore, I am vetoing them. I stand ready to work with the Legislature when it gets serious about protecting people and addressing North Carolinians’ pressing concerns.”
House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said he was disappointed, and Stein chose to side “with radical activists over the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians who believe in parental rights, biological reality and protecting women and children.”
The U.S. Supreme Court has already sided with Tennessee in banning gender-affirming care for minors, and Thursday said it would take up two challenges from West Virginia and Idaho related to women’s sports.
Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors, known also as House Bill 805, declares there are two sexes “without regard to an individual’s psychological, chosen or subjective experience of gender.” It defines gender identity as “a term that means an individual’s self-declared identity that may not align with biological sex and being a subjective internal sense, shall not be treated as legally or biologically equivalent to sex.”
The House agreed to Senate modifications of religious objections for school assignments; parental limits on school library books that can be borrowed; and library book databases in each school district.
The law aligns with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, both in giving definitions and in the effort to protect women’s spaces.
Stein also vetoed Eliminating “DEI” in Public Education (Senate Bill 227), Eliminating “DEI” in Public Higher Ed. (Senate Bill 558), and Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI (House Bill 171).
“Gov. Josh Stein had the opportunity to support women and girls across North Carolina today, yet he chose to bow down to a radical ideology that harms women,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. “In House Bill 805, we took bold action to define two sexes in state law, just like President Trump did in his groundbreaking executive order.
“Gov. Stein also had the chance to rid our public schools, colleges and universities, and state agencies of divisive ‘DEI’ programs but refused to do so. He’s choosing to ignore the clear will of the people who are tired of politically correct nonsense.”
The higher education bill says it is an act “to demonstrate the General Assembly’s intent that students, professors, administrators, and other employees of public institutions of higher education recognize the equality and rights of all persons and to prohibit public institutions of higher education from promoting certain concepts that are contrary to that intent.”
The K-12 bill says it is an act “to demonstrate the General Assembly’s intent that students, teachers, administrators, and other school employees recognize the equality and rights of all persons and to prohibit public school units from promoting certain concepts that are contrary to that intent.”
The agencies bill language says it is an act “eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in state and local government and clarifying the penalty provisions of the state budget act and local government budget and fiscal control act.”
Leading the list of new laws was the Parents Protection Act. Also known as Senate Bill 442 with companion House Bill 560, it prohibits parents from prosecution for refusing to affirm the gender identity of a child that experiences gender dysphoria.
The law makes sure parents can’t be accused of abuse or neglect for raising their child according to birth sex or lose custody of their children if there is disagreement of their sex when born and a potential gender identity claim. Medical decisions are the parents’ fundamental rights, according to the bill. Also, potential adoptions or foster care would not be tied to prospective parents having to affirm gender identity.
The other seven bills signed into law included:
• Improve Health and Human Services (SB600).
• Neighbor State License Recognition Act (HB763).
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities Act (HB357/HB719).
• Various Education Changes (SB125).
• Extend Certain Rights to Catawba Nation (SB655).
• Info. Rights of Estate/Death of LLC Member (SB307).
• NCCCS LMS/NCLDS (SB133).
Stein has 18 bills awaiting action. Two have 10-day deadlines on Monday, including the famed Make Elevators Great Again bill touted by first-term Republican Labor Commissioner Luke Farley.
