Conservative legislators in the North Carolina General Assembly are returning to Raleigh on July 29th to override Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes of reform legislation. We covered several of the bills vetoed by Gov. Stein, from eliminating DEI in state government to increasing government transparency and efficiency.
Some of the other reforms being blocked by Stein:
House Bill 402 – The REINS Act
The Carolina Journal covered the REINS Act passing the House in April:
Regulation is one of the biggest cost drivers for North Carolina residents, second only to inflation, explained Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash. Yet nearly all of the state’s 110,000 rules go into effect without legislative oversight.
Chesser said the REINS Act ensures elected lawmakers — not unelected agencies — are accountable for major regulatory decisions, giving citizens someone to hold responsible.
“Right now, we’ve got over 110,000 regulations on the books in North Carolina, and almost 100% of them pass through our current system,” Chesser explained on the House floor. “Very few would cross this threshold to where it comes into our body, where we get to get to review it. What we’re saying is that the people should have someone to hold accountable, and that should be us.”
House Bill 96 – Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons
Passed on a bipartisan vote in both the House and Senate, House Bill 96 addresses the issue of “squatters,” or individuals who are unlawfully occupying residential dwellings. Similar legislation passed the House in 2024 but didn’t pass the Senate.
House Bill 96 would not only speed up the process of removing a squatter, but also further protects the lawful owner from any damage caused during the process of removal.
Senate Bill 153 – North Carolina Border Protection Act
We’ve recently covered the list of law enforcement organizations issuing their support for House Bill 318, the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, which was also vetoed by Gov. Stein as we shared here.
Gov. Stein also vetoed another bill addressing border security, Senate Bill 153, the North Carolina Border Protection Act. Senate Bill 153 would allow local governments to be sued by residents harmed by illegal immigrants.
