(The Center Square) – In a vote of support for active military and veterans along with supply chain infrastructure, nine proposals on the desk of first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein were signed into law on Wednesday.
Three others were vetoed, his 12th, 13th and 14th of the last 20 days. With lawmakers still on holiday for July the Fourth, the governor has cleared all the bills presented and remains hopeful the state’s biennial budget due July 1 soon comes forward.
The Military and Veteran Support Act, known also as Senate Bill 118, and the Law and Order Act, known also as Senate Bill 311, led the signings.
The impact of the legislation on the military and veterans are a reduction in fees and modifications of policies. Legislation from two other House proposals, Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act (HB69) and Remote License Renewal/Active Duty Military (HB146), were swept into the bill.
“This bill,” said Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, “cuts a lot of red tape and provides commonsense quality of life changes for our veterans and active-duty military personnel in North Carolina.”
The Law and Order Act addresses, among other things, workplace violence prevention, mass picketing and obstructions to operations and public safety. The workplace section addresses key personnel in the supply chain infrastructure such as utility, internet, communications, natural gas, liquid petroleum, water, wastewater; and is inclusive of local, state and federal governments as well as people or entities that are privately owned.
It defines peaceful demonstrations as one or both of “not involving lawlessness or creating a risk to property or safety of others,” and “speech that is not directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is not likely to incite or produce such action.”
The governor also signed into law:
• SCRIPT Act (Senate Bill 479).
• 2025 Public Safety Act (SB429).
• Harrison’s Law (SB375, HB632).
• Interbasin Transfer Moratorium/Study (HB850).
• Reg’l Water Study/IBT Subbasin/TMDL (HB694).
• Board of Funeral Service Modifications (HB1003).
• Timeshare Foreclosure/Paternity Matters (HB992).
Stein rejected three bills with a veto stamp. Included were the Personal Privacy Protection Act, known also as Senate Bill 416; Firearm Law Revisions (House Bill 193); and Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons (House Bill 96, Senate Bill 71).
The donor privacy for nonprofits centers around First Amendment rights and critics’ howls that dark money in campaigns would be protected.
Stein said the firearms proposal would “make our children less safe.” The bill would let certain employees and volunteers at nonpublic schools carry certain weapons on educational property. It also had language on increased punishment for assaults and threats against executive officers, legislative officers, court officers and locally elected officers.
Stein said the squatters bill was one he favored until a late amendment prohibiting local governments from regulating pet stores. He said it would “facilitate inhumane puppy mills.” Passage was 46-0 in the Senate and 76-32 in the House of Representatives.
Override rules in the state require both chambers of the General Assembly – Republican majorities are 30-20 in the Senate, 71-49 in the House – to have three-fifths majority of those voting.
Stein only trails former Govs. Roy Cooper (104) and Bev Purdue (20) for most vetoes in state history.
