NC House overrides Stein vetoes on immigration, DEI

The North Carolina House voted Wednesday to override Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes of four Republican-backed measures, clearing a backlog of long-stalled measures that had been on the House calendar for months. The votes hand GOP legislative leaders a major win over the Democratic governor.

“By overriding four more of Gov. Stein’s vetoes today, we’re improving public safety and ending taxpayer-funded, divisive DEI policies for good,” House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said in a statement after the votes. “Once again, the House has stood firm and ensured Governor Stein and his liberal agenda won’t get in the way of common sense legislation.”

The overrides passed 71-47, the exact number needed after Democratic absences lowered the threshold for a successful veto override.

The two Democrats absent were Reps. Carla Cunningham, I-Mecklenburg; and Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, both of whom had been in committee earlier in the day. Both lawmakers were defeated in their Democratic primaries by Gov. Stein-backed opponents after previously breaking with their party on key votes.

The bills had been awaiting final action after earlier Senate override votes. Until the House brought them forward for debate, the measures remained in legislative limbo, one chamber away from becoming law but without a clear timeline for final votes.

The successful overrides mean the four bills will become law despite Stein’s objections.

“As the legislature leaves teachers and law enforcement officers waiting for hard-earned and desperately needed pay raises, members of the General Assembly are stoking the culture wars that divide us rather than fulfilling their long-overdue responsibility of passing a budget,” Stein said in a press release after the overrides. “It’s time for them to do their jobs for the people of North Carolina. Instead, they are overriding my veto on bills to whitewash the diversity that makes our state strong and to take state law enforcement officers away from their existing state duties, forcing them to act as federal immigration agents.”

The first veto lawmakers overrode was SB 153, the “North Carolina Border Protection Act,” an immigration-enforcement measure sponsored by Sens. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham; Warren Daniel, R-Burke; and Buck Newton, R-Wilson.

Bill sponsors framed the measure as a public-safety bill aimed at strengthening cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill requires state law enforcement agencies to comply with federal immigration detainers and cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person in custody is believed to be in the country illegally. It also targets local governments with so-called sanctuary policies by holding them accountable for refusing to follow state immigration-enforcement laws.

Stein and other Democrats criticized the bill as unnecessary and harmful to immigrant communities.

In a statement on social media, Berger, praised the override, saying the General Assembly was taking “decisive action to end sanctuary policies and tackle illegal immigration.”

The House also completed overrides on three DEI-related bills.

The broadest of the three, HB 171, “Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI,” restricts state agencies and local governments from using public funds to promote, fund, implement, or maintain DEI initiatives. The measure bars government offices from requiring employees to take part in DEI training or from using DEI-related statements or criteria in hiring, promotion, or contracting decisions.

Supporters say the bill is meant to keep state and local government focused on merit and equal treatment, while critics argue it will limit efforts to recruit, retain, and serve people from different backgrounds.

Lawmakers then turned to public schools, overriding Stein’s veto of SB 227, “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Education.” The bill applies similar restrictions to K-12 education, limiting the use of DEI offices, policies, training, and compelled statements. It is intended to prevent schools from promoting political or ideological concepts tied to race, gender, or identity.

Supporters argue the measure protects students and teachers from ideological pressure in the classroom, while opponents say it could chill discussions about history, discrimination, and student support services.

The final DEI override, SB 558, “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Higher Ed,” extends the effort to the University of North Carolina System and community colleges. The bill restricts campuses from maintaining DEI offices or requiring diversity statements, trainings, or employment practices tied to DEI.

Supporters say the measure will return colleges and universities to a focus on academic merit and viewpoint neutrality, while critics argue it could undermine campus programs designed to support students and faculty from underrepresented groups.

In a statement on social media, Hall called the overrides “big wins for fairness and common sense.”

The House did not take up SB 50, “Freedom to Carry NC,” the concealed-carry measure that would loosen North Carolina’s gun laws. The bill has been one of the more uncertain overrides for House Republicans, with at least two GOP members previously voting against it.

Under the North Carolina Constitution, veto overrides require approval from three-fifths of members present and voting in both chambers. With all 120 members present, House Republicans’ majority is one vote short of the 72 votes typically needed to override a veto without Democratic support.

“NC House overrides Stein vetoes on immigration, DEI” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.