North Carolina House overrides multiple vetoes; bills on firearms, immigration, energy and privacy advance

The North Carolina House of Representatives on July 29 voted to override a string of vetoes from Gov. Josh Stein, advancing a package of measures that split lawmakers along familiar policy lines on public safety, immigration, energy and transparency.

Lawmakers opened with procedural business before taking up a roster of vetoed bills sent from the governor. Representative Bell moved to override the governor’s objections on numerous measures; debate centered on the public-safety and civil-rights implications of each proposal.

The session’s most contested early item was House Bill 193, described in the clerk’s reading as “firearm law revisions.” Proponents including Representative McNeely argued the bill protects Second Amendment and private-property rights and gives private schools an option to allow armed volunteers or staff where SROs (school-resource officers) are unavailable. Opponents, led on the floor by Representative Moore, cautioned that the measure would “insert more firearms into the community without any regulation, without any oversight, without any training,” and urged colleagues to sustain the governor’s veto. After debate and a successful motion to close debate, the House voted 72–48 to override the veto, sending HB 193 to the Senate by special message.

House Bill 318—titled in the reading as the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act—also drew sustained floor debate. Supporters framed it as a public-safety measure that would strengthen cooperation between local detention centers and federal immigration authorities, including a 48-hour hold and expedited notification to ICE. Opponents said the bill broadens the class of offenses that can trigger immigration enforcement and risks wrongful detentions and family separations; Representative Lopez and others urged federal immigration reform instead of state action. The House voted 72–48 to override the governor’s veto and transmitted HB 318 to the Senate.

On administrative-rulemaking, House Bill 402 would require additional legislative ratification of agency rules meeting defined financial thresholds and change the calculation of “substantial economic impact.” Critics including Representative Harrison warned the measure could make it substantially harder for state agencies to adopt environmental and public-health rules, citing potential fiscal-note burdens on DEQ and separation-of-powers concerns. Supporters framed the bill as increased accountability. The override passed, 73–47.

The chamber also overrode vetoes on bills expanding the state auditor’s investigative authority (HB 549), a measure addressing sexual-exploitation protections and school-library review (HB 805), and several Senate-originated measures sent to the House for reconsideration.

Among Senate-originated items, the House received veto messages from Governor Josh Stein on multiple bills and then voted to override: SB 266 (Power Bill Reduction Act), which the governor said could raise utility costs and roll back carbon-reduction goals; SB 416 (Personal Privacy Protection Act), which the governor warned would reduce transparency; and SB 254 (charter school changes), which the governor described as unconstitutional or weakening oversight. The House overrode those vetoes in separate roll-call votes (SB 266: 74–46; SB 416: 74–46; SB 254: 74–46) and sent the results back to the Senate by special message.

Votes at a glance (selected overrides and outcomes): HB 193 (firearm law revisions) — override passed 72–48; HB 318 (Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act) — override passed 72–48; HB 402 (limits on rules with substantial financial cost) — override passed 73–47; HB 549 (clarify powers of state auditor) — override passed 72–48; HB 805 (prevent exploitation) — override passed 72–48; SB 266 (Power Bill Reduction Act) — override passed 74–46; SB 416 (Personal Privacy Protection Act) — override passed 74–46; SB 254 (charter school changes) — override passed 74–46. Several local and other bills (for example, HB 8 on environmental-waste management and HB 305 on Guilford County sales-tax distribution) were also considered, advanced or concurred and will move according to the calendar.

What lawmakers said: Representative McNeely argued HB 193 offered a pragmatic option for private schools that cannot afford SROs and framed the bill as allowing private-property choices; Representative Moore said the measure “removes protections” and “inserts more firearms into the community” with insufficient training or oversight. On SB 266, Representative Arp said the measure would lower electric bills for consumers; Representative Harrison warned it would raise bills and roll back the state’s clean-energy trajectory.

Next steps: Bills that the House overrode were transmitted to the Senate by special message; some measures already became law “notwithstanding” the governor’s objections where the House had the requisite supermajority. The House adopted an adjournment resolution and will reconvene as scheduled. Leadership announced caucus and committee times and extended condolences and courtesies to the family of former assistant sergeant at arms Malachi McCullough Jr., whose memorial remarks were read on the floor.

Sources and provenance: This article summarizes remarks and roll-call results recorded on the House floor (reading and debate of HB 193 and subsequent override vote, HB 318, HB 402, HB 549, HB 805, and Senate messages SB 266, SB 416, SB 254) and is based exclusively on statements appearing in the official floor transcript for the session.