Three controversial laws in North Carolina went into effect Thursday after Republican lawmakers overrode recent vetoes by Gov. Roy Cooper.
The first bill would have strengthened mask-wearing regulations in public, created new criminal and civil penalties for protesters, and relaxed campaign finance laws, but Governor Cooper vetoed it just over a week after it was introduced, citing concerns it would undermine the state's free and fair elections.
“This bill creates a major loophole that allows unlimited, secret campaign funds to flow in the middle of an election year,” Cooper wrote. “While voters are in the dark, the scheme allows anonymous, out-of-state billionaires to funnel massive amounts of campaign money into North Carolina to bail out a far-right candidate that Republicans fear will lose.”
The second bill would undo 2019 juvenile justice reforms and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to be tried as adults for criminal offenses. The third bill would update the state's transportation policy, including a widely unpopular provision that would ease restrictions on cutting down roadside trees to install signs.
The House voted to override all three vetoes on Wednesday, and the Senate voted on Thursday, making the decision official. Five of the six votes were tallied entirely along party lines, except for the marquee pro-life bill, which had Democratic support in the House.
Republicans currently hold a supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly, more than 60% of state legislators, and the move follows a series of similar actions taken against Democratic governors in recent years.
Cooper's seat is up for grabs in November. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, and Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, a Republican, are competing for the seat after winning their respective primaries. Green Party candidates Wayne Turner and Libertarian Party candidate Mike Ross are also in the running.
North Carolina lawmakers serve two-year terms, and all 50 Senate seats and 120 House seats are on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Masks, public safety and campaign finances
House Bill 237 (originally titled “Unmasking Rioters and Criminals”) contains a number of controversial policies, but the biggest backlash was for eliminating COVID-era exemptions that allowed North Carolinians to wear masks in public for health reasons.
HB 237 specifies that permitted masks must be “medical or surgical grade” and updates the language of the exemption from “ensuring the physical health or safety of the wearer or others” to “preventing the spread of communicable diseases.” The bill also adds that mask wearers must remove their masks for identification purposes upon request by a law enforcement officer or the owner or occupant of private property or public facilities.
Republicans have broadly defended the bill, arguing that protesters are using the exemption to hide their identities at demonstrations. The new law comes amid a rise in protests on college campuses and in public places in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which has led to arrests in North Carolina.
While supporters of the bill argue that police will use “common sense” and not arrest people who may be using masks for health reasons, many residents remain concerned that immune-compromised North Carolinians will suffer as a result of the policy change.
HB 237 also increases civil and criminal penalties for protesters. Protesters who wear masks despite being charged with a misdemeanor or felony will be charged with the next level higher than the crime they were convicted of. Additionally, anyone who impedes traffic flow or obstructs the passage of emergency vehicles during a protest will be subject to higher criminal penalties and civil liability if the delay causes injury or death.
The bill would also change North Carolina's campaign finance laws in a move Democrats have criticized for making it easier for corporations and wealthy individuals to make unlimited anonymous donations to political candidates through political action committees and state parties.
HB 237 was presented to Governor Cooper on June 12 and vetoed on June 21. The House voted 70-46 to override Governor Cooper's veto, and the Senate voted 30-14 in favor.
Repeal of Juvenile Justice
House Bill 834 would reverse many of the changes implemented through the 2019 “Raise the Age” reform bill, which stipulates that all defendants under the age of 18 will no longer be automatically charged in adult court for nonviolent crimes.
Now, 16- and 17-year-olds are automatically sent to adult court again for a wider range of felony offenses, but previously, district attorneys were given discretion over the placement of juveniles who committed nonviolent crimes.
Prior to the passage of the raise the age bill, North Carolina was the only state in the nation that tried 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for all criminal offenses.
Rep. Marcia Morey, a Durham Democrat, strongly opposed the bill, reminding her colleagues they were “dealing with minors” and urging them not to override Cooper's veto.
Professors at Duke University expressed similar concerns, noting that trials in juvenile court generally lead to better outcomes for those convicted than trials in adult court.
HB 834 was presented to Governor Cooper for his signature on June 6, but the Governor vetoed the bill on June 14. The House vetoed it by a vote of 70-46, and the Senate vetoed it by a vote of 30-14.
Expanded logging concessions
House Bill 198 would amend existing transportation law in accordance with recommendations from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Its provisions include allocating funds for Hurricane Dorian recovery, calling for proposals for a new infrastructure upgrade program, and increasing late fees on toll roads.
But Measure 27 is controversial because it loosens regulations on clearing vegetation for outdoor advertising. The provision gives sign companies more leeway to cut down trees along North Carolina's highways. The policy has been opposed by environmental and tourism groups, who say cutting down trees will damage the natural environment and make the state less attractive to visitors.
The tree-cutting provision was reportedly not among the Department of Transport's original recommendations for policy change.
HB 198 was passed on May 22 and vetoed the next day. The veto was overturned by a vote of 74-42 in the House and 30-14 in the Senate.
Get The Chronicle delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel any time.
| News Editor
Zoe Korenowski is a junior at Trinity University and news editor for Issue 120 of The Chronicle.