(The Center Square) – Vetoed legislation involving homelessness will be vetoed, says a statement from the speaker of the House of Representatives in North Carolina.
Drug-Free Zones/Unauthorized Public Camping, known also as House Bill 437, would create drug-free homeless service zones and punishments for drug offense violations within them. First-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the bill last week.
“If Governor Stein was serious about helping homeless people, he would have signed this legislation into law,” said Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph. “His veto puts North Carolina at risk of missing out on critical federal funding that would help move people out of unsafe encampments and into stable housing and supportive services. The governor’s refusal to address homelessness only allows more people to sink deeper into addiction and mental illness while making our communities less safe.”
Stein said the bill makes it harder for local governments.
“The bill also fundamentally misunderstands how people suffering from addiction get healthy,” Stein said. “If government threatens criminal liability against those who seek treatment and against the people, organizations, and churches trying to help them, government stands in the way of services that promote health and safety, and people’s problems are actually made worse.”
Passage was 26-16 in the Senate and 73-40 in the House of Representatives.
Toward a possible veto override, the upper chamber had no Democrats for it and four take excused absences, and no Republicans against it and four taking excused absences. In the House, five Democrats and two unaffiliated lawmakers were for it and no Republicans were against.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Raleigh in two weeks.
