North Carolina legislators consider vetoes, constitution changes as work session winds down

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly raced Wednesday to advance legislation before completing its chief working session for the year — even as lawmakers know they could return later this summer to settle unfinished business.

That to-be-continued work likely includes adjustments to the second year of the already enacted two-year state budget. While House and Senate Republicans have moved competing spending measures for the fiscal year that begins next week, talks have broken down on working out differences.

Senate leader Phil Berger said his chamber is poised to leave Raleigh after Thursday, and House Speaker Tim Moore has said a “little cooling off” might be in order.

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Veto overrides

The General Assembly signaled that legislation addressing protesters and campaign finance, prosecutions of youth offenders and transportation would soon become law despite Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes.

The House voted Wednesday to override Cooper’s three vetoes so far this year, with similar Senate votes expected on Thursday. Republicans hold narrow veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

One bill increases punishments for people wearing masks while committing a crime and for blocking a road during a demonstration. The changes were made in light of recent protests of the war in Gaza.

The measure still allows people to wear “medical or surgical grade masks” to prevent spreading illnesses, but police and property owners can ask someone to temporarily remove them for identification. Cooper’s veto message had focused on unrelated campaign finance provisions that in part will allow federally-registered political organizations to donate money to state political parties using funds coming from individuals who can make unlimited contributions.

The other vetoes overridden by the House are for bills that would ensure more young people accused of serious crimes be automatically tried in adult court and would expand areas where billboard owners can pare vegetation along roadways.

Constitutional amendments

A slew of proposed constitutional amendments may appear on North Carolina voters’ ballots this year, depending on how the General Assembly acts in the coming days. If approved by a simple majority of votes in November, the amendments would become law.

Constitutional amendments require 72 House and 30 Senate members’ votes to get them on the ballot, and the governor doesn’t have veto power over them. Of the four proposals moving through the House or Senate, two have gotten the most traction.

They clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote and that photo identification is required for all types of voting, not just for in-person balloting. The House and the Senate are running separate versions of bills containing the same language.

The House backed the citizens-only amendment in an initial 104-12 vote. But it’s uncertain what the Senate will do, as its version includes a third amendment proposal that would cap state income tax rates at 5%, instead of the current 7%. Other amendment votes were expected Thursday.

Another House amendment would limit the governor’s appointment power when filling Council of State vacancies. The governor would be required to choose from a list of three nominees provided by the state party that the vacating official was affiliated with when elected.

Budget impasse

The Senate and House are roughly $300 million apart on how much to spend over the next 12 months, with the House seeking to spend the higher amount.

A great deal of the House’s extra spending would raise state employee and teacher pay above what the current second year of the budget already directs. The Senate wants to stick to the second-year raises — an average 3% raise for teachers and 3% across the board for employees.

The competing plans do agree on spending $487 million for programs that provide money to K-12 students to attend private schools or receive other services. The money would remove waiting lists for two programs. The House and Senate budget bills also back spending $135 million for child care center grants that will no longer be provided by the federal government starting next month.

With hopes dim for a broad agreement by week’s end, House Republicans advanced a separate bill Wednesday that would allocate $67 million for the child care grants for the next six months. The Senate would have to agree, too.

Child care arrests

A group organized by the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign and others came to the Legislative Building to vocally demand action on child care funding.

By midday eight demonstrators were arrested after police said they declined to stop singing in the rotunda between the House and Senate chambers.

A few dozen people associated with the group entered the building. Officers received noise complaints and arrested people after they were asked three times to lower their voices, General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock said.

The detained demonstrators, who were taken away with plastic zip ties around their wrists, were to be charged with second-degree trespassing and violating the building rules, Brock said.

Late bill action

The General Assembly overwhelmingly gave final approval to a bill that would define antisemitism in state law based on the definition by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The bill now goes to Cooper’s desk.

The Senate also approved a bill to make several election changes such as requiring campaign ads to disclose the use of artificial intelligence and mandating that county elections boards issue certain ballot challenges. This bill also now heads to the House.