BY REP. TODD CARVER

The N.C. General Assembly will be back in session this week. I believe the primary reason for our return is to attempt to override vetoes. There may be some other matters considered, but the larger task will be to consider some of the 14 bills which have been vetoed so far by Gov. Josh Stein.

A quick reminder about how veto overrides work in North Carolina. When a bill is vetoed by the governor, it is returned to the chamber where it originated. To override the veto, it requires three-fifths of the members present voting in favor of the legislation. So if all 120 members of the House of Representatives are present, it takes 72 votes for a successful override.

There are four bills I would like to see us consider because I believe we could get 72 votes and more to complete the override. It is important for us to take up bills if there is a clear path to override rather than have an unsuccessful attempt.

Here are the four bills along with a short reason for why the bill is right for North Carolina:

♦ HB 402 – Limit Rules with Substantial Financial Costs: This bill will restrict the ability of unelected Commissions and Boards to impose increased costs without the approval of the N.C. General Assembly. For example, if the Board of Freelance Writers wanted to increase the annual licensure fee from $50 to $5,000 with a vote of the board, they would be required to have legislative approval. This is a completely justified process of allowing people to have the ability to elect those who impose fines upon them. The authority of these commissions comes from the General Assembly; therefore, it is completely reasonable for lawmakers to place reasonable restrictions upon them.

♦ SB 416 – Personal Privacy Protection Act: This bill would protect people who make donations to causes from public disclosure. If a person is a supporter, member and volunteer of a nonprofit then their information should not be a public record. The best part of this bill is it doesn’t apply to political candidate finance reports, and it is content neutral. In other words, the protections would apply to groups regardless of their cause.

♦ SB 266 – The Power Bill Reduction Act: This legislation will remove the arbitrary and artificial requirements for a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. We need to do all we can to help North Carolina energy providers with the delivery of clean, reliable power for our residents. We do not need to place random requirements in less than five years, which will surely drive up energy costs. As I have said in previous articles, I do not believe this bill will result in power bill reductions; the bill will result in slower rate increases.

♦ HB 318 – The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act: This bill would require the cooperation of North Carolina law enforcement with ICE when a person is in the custody of a detention center and has an ICE detainer and an administrative warrant. This process is being followed in a large majority of counties in North Carolina already because of previous legislation. The bill makes clarification in the language regarding timeframes for making communications between detention centers and ICE. This bill simply closes a language loophole which could impact the safety of North Carolina residents.

There are several other bills which have been vetoed that I would continue to support if they were brought up this week. I have merely highlighted four bills I think would have the best chances for a successful override.

Next week I will provide an update on the outcome of what takes place verses my speculation.

Rep. Todd Carver represents the 95th District in the N.C. House. Email him at todd.carver@ncleg.gov.