Lawmakers return next week to override vetoes

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed 14 bills while in office. Votes to override any of those vetoes are expected to test the power of Republicans in the legislature, where the GOP is one seat shy of a veto-proof majority in the state House of Representatives.
Posted 7/25/2025, 10:08:29 PM Updated 7/25/2025, 11:00:06 PM

JESUS ALEXANDER, COLLIN, ALSO A

MARINE DIED.

>> YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE AT THE

LEGISLATIVE BUILDING IN

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. IT'S ALL

QUIET THERE NOW LAWMAKERS ARE

GONE FOR THE WEEKEND, BUT THEY

WILL BE BACK ON MONDAY.

REPUBLICAN LEADERS WILL TRY

TO OVERRIDE 14 VETOES. BUT

HOUSE DEMOCRATS CAN STOP THEM.

WRAL. CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF

LAURA LESLIE JOINING US NOW

LIVE WITH WHAT TO EXPECT.

LAURA.

AND ACTUALLY, LAWMAKERS ARE

PRESENT NEXT WEEK, HOUSE

REPUBLICANS WILL NEED TO PEEL

OFF ONE JUST ONE DEMOCRATIC

VOTE TO BE ABLE TO OVERRIDE A

THAT'S WHY THIS IS THE FIRST

REAL TEST OF GOVERNOR JOSH

STEIN'S ABILITY TO HOLD THE

HOUSE DEMOCRATS TOGETHER.

>> SOME POLITICAL EXPERTS

BELIEVE HE MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY

SUCCESSFUL.

>> SEVERAL OF THE VETOED BILLS

DEAL WITH CULTURE, WAR ISSUES

LIKE BANNING DEI IN SCHOOLS,

UNIVERSITIES AND DEFINING

GENDER. ACCORDING TO

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS, 2 OTHER

BILLS WOULD REQUIRE STATE AND

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND

GOVERNMENT WORKERS TO CARRY

OUT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AS

PART OF THEIR DUTIES AND OTHERS

WOULD LOOSEN GUN LAWS ALLOWING

GUNS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND

MAKING IT LEGAL FOR ALMOST

ANYONE OVER 17 TO CARRY A

CONCEALED WEAPON WITH NO PERMIT

OR TRAINING A VETO OVERRIDE HAS

TO PASS BOTH CHAMBERS WITH THE

3 FIFTHS VOTE SENATE

REPUBLICANS HOLD 3 FIFTHS OF

THE SEATS SO THEY CAN OVERRIDE

VETOES WITH NO DEMOCRATIC HELP

THAT LEAVES THE HOUSE

DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS AS STEIN'S

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE SAYS

WESTERN CAROLINA POLITICAL

SCIENTIST CHRIS COOPER. I THINK

IT'S GOING TO TELL US A LOT

ABOUT WHETHER JOSH STEIN CAN

KEEP HIS PARTY TOGETHER WILL TO

REMEMBER HIS MARGIN IS THE

NARROWEST MARGIN POSSIBLE FOR

HIM TO BE ABLE TO SKI SUSTAIN

THESE VETOES. HE CAN ONLY AND

TO LOSE NO DEMOCRATS. ONE VETO

COOPER, THANKS. MIGHT BE

OVERRIDDEN IS A BILL BACKED BY

DUKE ENERGY.

>> IT REMOVES SOME CARBON

REDUCTION DEADLINES. THE

UTILITY AGREED 2 YEARS AGO AND

ALLOWS DUE TO START CHARGING

CUSTOMERS MORE NOW TO PAY FOR

POWER PLANTS IN THE FUTURE.

>> DUKE IS HEADQUARTERED IN

CHARLOTTE. HE SAW A LOT OF

CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG AREA,

FOLKS THAT ARE DEMOCRATS.

>> VOTING WITH THE REPUBLICAN

PARTY. THAT SEEMS LIKE ONE THAT

IS PARTICULARLY RIPE TO BE TO

BE OVERTURNED. BUT LOOK, I

THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO

SEE IT AND SOME OTHERS TO THE

MARGINS ARE JUST TOO SMALL.

BUT THE DEMOCRATS.

>> A VETO OVERRIDES AREN'T THE

ONLY THING ON THE AGENDA NEXT

WEEK. WE'RE ALSO EXPECTING

LAWMAKERS TO TAKE UP SOME

CHANGES TO STATE TAX LAWS TO

MATCH FEDERAL CHANGES IN

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ONE BIG

BEAUTIFUL BILL AND THEY'RE ALSO

EXPECTED TO DEBATE MAKING

CHANGES TO STATE ELECTION LAWS.

LAURA LESLIE, WRAL, NEWS LIVE

© WRAL