Both the N.C. House and Senate have scheduled override votes Tuesday on the 14 vetoes issued by the governor over the past month.
Senate Republicans have a veto-proof majority, and Senate leader Phil Berger voiced confidence last week that he’ll have his caucus present for successful override votes this week. Seven of the vetoed bills began in the Senate and therefore will get their first override vote from that chamber, before going to the House for a final vote.
The House is where things will get interesting, as Republicans are one vote short of a veto-proof majority this year. Whether Speaker Destin Hall succeeds in overriding vetoes will depend on whether at least one Democrat crosses party lines – or if there are enough absences to get the required three-fifths majority of members present and voting.
On nine of the 14 bills, at least one House Democrat voted in favor of the controversial legislation initially. To successfully block them from becoming law, Stein will need to convince multiple Democrats to change their minds on legislation they’d previously voted for. That’s happened in the past under former Gov. Roy Cooper.
If Democrats stay together, Hall will need to wait for absences. He can keep the bills on the calendar through a technique known as the “veto garage,” and then call for a vote at any point when enough Democrats are absent. That could happen anytime between this week and when the two-year session concludes at the end of 2026.
Here’s a full list of the vetoed bills on the agenda this week, and which (if any) Democrats supported them:
Concealed handgun permits (Senate Bill 50): Stein and Democrats are strongly opposed to this proposed repeal of the state’s requirement for permits and background checks for people who want to carry a concealed gun in public. Two House Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill – Reps. William Brisson and Ted Davis – creating an additional challenge for the GOP on an override vote.
Immigration enforcement mandates (Senate Bill 153 and House Bill 318): These bills would require North Carolina law enforcement agencies to align more closely with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The House bill expands on a previous law requiring sheriffs to comply with ICE detainers, while the Senate bill would allow for lawsuits against communities with immigration “sanctuary” policies and block government benefits to people in the country illegally. Rep. Carla Cunningham was the lone Democrat to support the House bill, but she – and all her fellow Democrats – opposed the Senate bill.
Squatters and pet shops (House Bill 96): Yes, that’s one bill. The governor says he likes the attempt to make it easier to evict squatters from private homes, but he opposes a last-minute addition that would ban local restrictions on pet shops. He says it would allow for more puppy mills, but 17 House Democrats voted yes on the combined bill.
Duke Energy’s carbon reduction mandate (Senate Bill 266): Stein says the bill that would eliminate an interim carbon dioxide emissions reduction goal for Duke Energy would make power bills increase. Eleven House Democrats, however, joined Republicans in reaching the opposite conclusion and voted for the legislation.
Charter school oversight (Senate Bill 254): This one would shift some oversight responsibilities for charter schools from the State Board of Education (mostly appointed by the governor) to the Charter School Review Board (mostly appointed by the legislature). Stein says the power shift is unconstitutional and weakens school accountability, but eight House Democrats voted yes.
Guns in private schools (House Bill 193): Rep. Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, was the only Democrat who voted to allow trained staff and volunteers to carry concealed weapons on private school property with permission from school administrators.
Expanding the state auditor’s powers (House Bill 549): Willingham was also the only Democratic “yes” vote on a measure that will allow the state auditor to access the records of any private business or nonprofit that receives state or federal funds. Stein says that change could harm the state’s business recruitment efforts.
Banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies (Senate Bills 558 – higher education, Senate Bill 227 – K-12 schools and House Bill 171 – state government): The trio of bills would ban all DEI programs and policies from public education and state agencies, but the legislation passed without a single vote from Democrats.
Enacting “donor privacy” measures (Senate Bill 416): This bill would ban government agencies from collecting or releasing information about donors to nonprofit organizations, but Stein says it would result in more dark money influencing politics. Three Democrats – Reps. Willingham, Charles Smith and Carla Cunningham – voted in favor of the measure.
LGBTQ restrictions and school library regulations (House Bill 805): This bill began as a bipartisan House measure to create consent regulations for pornographic websites. But the Senate added a variety of controversial provisions: Allowing lawsuits against medical providers over gender transitions, changing the definition of biological sex in state law to exclude gender identity, and requiring schools to provide parents with a list of school library books with an option to ban their children from checking out specific titles. Only one Democrat voted for the bill: Rep. Dante Pittman, a first-term legislator from a highly competitive district in Wilson.
More legislative power over government agency rules: Known as the “REINS Act,” the bill would require legislative approval for any rule or regulation that is deemed to have a cost of at least $20 million over a five-year period. Stein says the bill would "hamstring" agencies, boards and commissions from addressing drinking water quality, PFAS pollution and healthcare issues. Three Democrats, Reps. Cunningham, Willingham and Cecil Brockman, voted for the bill.
