The N.C. House of Representatives has had several outstanding veto overrides on its calendar every day throughout the legislative short session.
Wednesday afternoon, it took up four of those overrides, with the help of two lawmakers who skipped the votes.
Bills becoming law include one banning diversity, equity and inclusion policies in public schools (Senate Bill 227), another banning them at public universities (Senate Bill 558) and another forcing state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal border patrol enforcement (Senate Bill 153).
The House also sent a bill (House Bill 171) that would ban DEI policies in state agencies to the Senate, where Stein's veto likely will be overridden.
All four House votes Wednesday were 71 to 47 along party lines, allowing Republicans to narrowly reach the three-fifths margin they needed.
In each case, Republicans were able to meet that threshold because two representatives were absent. They were Edgecombe County Democrat Shelly Willingham and Mecklenburg County's Carla Cunningham, a former Democrat who is now unaffiliated.
Both Cunningham and Willingham lost Democratic Party primary elections this year.
Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, implored Speaker of the House Destin Hall to allow additional debate on each of the bills where veto overrides were being considered Wednesday.
"It appears that these override votes here that we are seeing today are very well choreographed, and so I would ask you to reconsider the question of privilege concerning the integrity of the House's proceedings because the ability of members to deliberate and represent their constituents is central to the institutional rights of this body," Butler said.
Hall responded, arguing that each of the bills had been debated at length when the House originally passed them. Beyond that, Hall said, he and Republican leaders have announced well in advance when they plan to hold votes.
The simple math, Hall said, is that Republicans are able to override vetoes if two non-Republicans are missing from the chamber. And that was the situation Wednesday afternoon.
"I realize that there's certain members who are against the subject matter in these bills and that's fine, but that doesn't call into question this body at all. In fact, it's just simply the way our government works, the way it's worked in this state for a long time. No rules are violated. In fact, I would say we've gone out of the way, in many ways hindering the ability to override vetoes," Hall said.
The veto overrides come in the waning days of the short session, even as Republican leaders insist they are close to a budget agreement.
Stein blasted the override votes Wednesday afternoon, saying the legislature should instead focus on passing a long-overdue comprehensive budget.
"It's time for them to do their jobs for the people of North Carolina. Instead, they are overriding my veto on bills to whitewash the diversity that makes our state strong and to take state law enforcement officers away from their existing state duties, forcing them to act as federal immigration agents," Stein said in a statement.
In total, Republicans who make up the majority of the General Assembly have overridden 12 of Democratic Governor Stein's vetoes. A 13th, on House Bill 171, appears imminent.
House Republicans did not take up the sole remaining veto, Senate Bill 50, which would allow permitless concealed carry. There are two Republicans — Rep. William Brisson, R-Bladen, and Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover — who oppose the legislation, giving it an even higher bar to clear.
