(The Center Square) – Senators completed three veto overrides and set up two others to be finished by the House of Representatives in their return to session at the North Carolina General Assembly on Monday.
Most notable among them was No Central Bank Digital Currency Payments to State, the legislation of Reps. Mark Brody of Union County and Harry Warren of Rowan County that does not allow the federal government to pay or test with state government. Digital money exists only in electronic form; transfer and accounting are in computers.
Also known as House Bill 690, it becomes law immediately. No Republicans were against the override in either chamber – votes were Senate 27-17, House 73-41 – and Reps. Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, and Michael Wray, D-Northampton, were the only Democrats for it. In June, passage was 39-5 in the Senate and 109-4 in the House.
Also becoming law is Tenancy in Common/E-Notary/Small Claims Changes, known as HB556; and Titles for Off-Road Vehicles/Low Speed Vehicles Inspection, or HB155. The former has some sections becoming law immediately and others Oct. 1; the latter has a subsection becoming law next year on July 1, and the bulk immediately.
Voting on these two in part mirrored the digital currency veto. For HB556, in June it was 36-6 in the Senate and 74-39 in the House; Monday it was 27-17 in the Senate and 74-40 in the House. For HB155, in June it was 33-16 in the Senate and 92-12 in the House; Monday it was 27-17 in the Senate and 73-41 in the House.
Recommendations by the North Carolina Bar Association related to tenancy and by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s office for notary public laws are in HB556. There’s also language to stop counties and cities from adopting rules to prohibit landlords from refusing to lease to tenants because their source of income to pay rent includes federal housing assistance.
The ATV and utility vehicle law expands which streets or highways where they may be legally operated.
Senators took the first step to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto stamp on 2024 Building Code Regulatory Reform, or Senate Bill 166, and Recording of Court-Filed Documents, also known as SB445. Each is on the House calendar for votes Wednesday.
Passage of a ballot referendum in 1995 enabled the governor to have veto power; North Carolina was the last state in the country to be granted ability to veto. The General Assembly can override it with a three-fifths vote, meaning minimums of 30 in the Senate, 72 in the House.
Of Cooper’s 27 vetos this two-year session, a perfect 25-for-25 have been overridden.
In Cooper’s eight years, he has issued 102 vetoes with Republican supermajorities overriding 48 in as many tries. In 13 attempts with less than three-fifths majorities, Republican leadership is 0-for-13.
For context, there were no vetoes in either of the two two-year sessions after the law was passed and only 16 successful veto overrides in the 20 years before Cooper took office Jan. 1, 2017.