The North Carolina General Assembly voted Wednesday to finalize their override of Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10, making it law, with big changes for private school vouchers and immigration enforcement.
The North Carolina Senate voted 30 to 19 to override Cooper’s veto, just over the three-fifths threshold to override a bill, on partisan lines, with Republicans in favor.
The North Carolina House also voted Tuesday over the three-fifths threshold to override the bill, also largely along partisan lines.
HB10 will require all sheriffs to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's voluntary detention requests and notify ICE if an undocumented person is detained.
The bill also included an additional $6.5 billion in state funding for private school vouchers over the next decade, which means more middle and high-income families will be able to get public funds for private schools.
HB10's opponents have said the voucher funding would instead better serve public schools. Sen. Natasha Marcus of Mecklenburg County was the only senator to debate the bill.
"This is not a bill about helping low-income families or about school choice,” Marcus said. “This is about expanding the program to the wealthiest families in our state."
Some immigrant advocates also worry that HB10 will aid President-elect Trump’s promise for mass deportations.
"House Bill 10 forces local agencies to act as immigration enforcers, creating an environment where families live in constant fear and are less likely to report crimes or seek critical services," Carolina Migrant Network's Stefania Arteaga said.
