For nearly a year, a series of controversial bills related to diversity, equity and inclusion, immigration and guns, which Democratic Gov. Josh Stein had vetoed, lingered on the North Carolina legislative calendar.
To override the governor’s veto, three-fifths of present lawmakers must vote for a bill to become law despite the governor’s opposition. With everyone present, House Republicans are one seat shy of a supermajority that could override Stein’s vetoes without support from Democratic or unaffiliated lawmakers.
Until now, that one-vote barrier was enough to block a handful of vetoed bills.
But Wednesday, state Reps. Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, and Carla Cunningham, U-Mecklenburg, left the chamber for the veto override votes, which changed the math enough to give Republicans enough votes to override all but one outstanding veto.
Willingham and Cunningham lost their primaries in March, largely due to anger over their votes to override vetoes last year in previous sessions.
Throughout this year’s session, House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, repeatedly told reporters that he planned to override the governor’s remaining vetoes eventually. Wednesday was that day.
Legislative leaders cut off most debate, only allowing the majority and minority leaders three minutes each to speak on the vetoed bills. House Minority Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, yielded his time to various other Democratic lawmakers.
Anti-DEI bills
A trio of vetoed bills ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, public education and higher public education.
The education bills ban teachers from endorsing certain “divisive concepts,” including the concepts that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex, that a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or that a person bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of their race or sex.
Schools also cannot offer anyone advantages or disadvantages to those from a particular group compared to other groups based on their race, sex or other protected classification.
Under the bill, all DEI offices, programs or roles would be eliminated. Higher education institutions would also have to get rid of any bias incident groups that include reporting processes for microaggressions or other offensive speech on college campuses.
“We want schools teaching reading, writing, math, history, science and civics,” said Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus. “We want schools to teach children how to think and not what political doctrine they must believe.”
Rep. Zach Hawkins, D-Durham, said DEI is not about indoctrination; it’s about giving every child an opportunity to succeed.
“There is nothing wrong with people in our state being supported, ensuring that their emotional, social, and overall well-being is supported because they come from a diverse background,” he said.
Reives addressed Republican lawmakers in a lengthy floor speech outlining his opposition to the anti-DEI educational bills.
“How dare you say that you want this state to be the best that it can be, and then spend this time trying to figure out how to stop our best and brightest minds, who may be white, who may be Black, who may be female, who may be male, who may be Latino, who may be Asian,” he said.
“If you want true competition and progress, you’ve got to let folks learn, be healthy, and have opportunities.”
The state agency bill would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion metrics in hiring decisions, while eliminating any existing DEI staff positions or offices. Diversity, equity and inclusion training would be banned.
The State Auditor, currently Republican Dave Boliek, would conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance with this law. Anyone who violates the law may be fired and sued in civil court up to $5,000 per violation.
State agencies could neither use public or state funding to promote or implement diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, nor apply for or accept outside grants requiring compliance with DEI policies. Such existing programs would end unless federally required.
“Government hiring should be based on qualifications,” Jones said. “Contracts should be based on merit. Government services should be open and equal to every citizen.”
Rep. Amos Quick, D-Guilford, called the bill “unoriginal,” “mean-spirited,” and “detrimental” to North Carolina’s progress.
“How can one be anti-diversity in a proudly diverse society, a society made up of people who are diverse in their ability, ethnicity, gender, age, race, neurodiversity and faith background, amongst other things?” Quick asked.
Senate Bill 153: NC Border Protection Act
In 2024, lawmakers passed House Bill 10, which required North Carolina sheriffs to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they have issued a detainer and administrative warrant for someone the sheriffs have in custody.
Now, they’re taking the next step, said Rep. Reece Pyrtle, R-Rockingham.
The North Carolina Border Protection Act would expand the mandate to cooperate with federal immigration authorities by requiring various state law enforcement agencies — including the Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction, State Highway Patrol and the State Bureau of Investigation — to also work with them. State law enforcement officers would undergo training conducted by ICE so they could take on some federal immigration law enforcement functions themselves.
When someone charged with a criminal offense enters their custody, law enforcement officers would have to determine whether they were a legal resident or citizen. If unable to determine their status, officers would ask ICE about their status. If they are found to not be a citizen or legal resident, officers must share requested information with ICE.
The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, various housing agencies and the Department of Commerce to ensure only US citizens and legal residents are receiving state-funded benefits, including Medicaid, housing assistance and unemployment benefits. Noncitizens are already ineligible for these benefits.
It also states that counties or cities that act as sanctuaries for noncitizens by violating this law will no longer have governmental immunity from civil lawsuits if a noncitizen commits a crime within municipal limits.
Finally, the bill bars University of North Carolina institutions from implementing any policy that would restrict federal immigration law enforcement.
Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, said the bill asks too much of law enforcement.
“I so respect our law enforcement that serve here and everywhere in North Carolina, but they’re already stretched,” she said. “We know that. Those of you who serve here and have served for law and order know they’re stretched. So, what are we going to do about it if we pass this law?”
Each of the veto overrides passed with the same vote: 71-47. All Republicans voted for the overrides, and all present Democrats and Unaffiliated Rep. Nasif Majeed voted against them. All are now law except for House Bill 171, which deals with DEI in state agencies. The Senate will likely hold its override vote next week.
One vetoed bill remains: Senate Bill 50. The bill would allow North Carolinians 18 and over to concealed carry firearms without a permit.
Two Republicans voted against the bill its first time around, and legislative leaders weren’t able to convince enough members to change their mind to override the veto Wednesday.
“It’s one that’s not quite there yet, but I think it has a realistic chance to get there for the override,” Hall told reporters.
Reives told reporters he thinks the overrides will impact the upcoming election.
“At some point somebody is going to look and say, you’re going to tell me that you guys have been in session for six months, and instead of passing a budget … you decided the most important thing was that you didn’t get your feelings hurt when you went to class,” he said. “Yeah, I think people are going to pay attention to that.”
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may republish our stories for free, online or in print. Simply copy and paste the article contents from the box below. Note, some images and interactive features may not be included here.
