Senate Republicans swatted down a couple of vetoes Tuesday, voting to override Gov. Roy Cooper on legislation meant to block lawsuits against hog farms as well as a bill reworking the state's early voting period.
The farm bill vote was 37-9, with Sens. Mike Woodard, D-Durham, Joel Ford, D-Mecklenburg, and Don Davis, D-Pitt, joining the Republicans to vote against the governor. The override on early voting was a party-line affair, 34-12. Both measures head now to the House, where that chamber's GOP super-majority is expected to complete the overrides.
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There was little debate in the Senate. Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, said he was disappointed that the governor vetoed the farm bill. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, said Cooper didn't care what the early voting bill did, he "just wanted to add another veto to the list."
Cooper had several complaints with the early voting bill, Senate Bill 325. It expands the total hours early voting would be available by lengthening the voting days in the run-up to the the election, something Republicans pitched as an overall expansion. But local election officials have said the longer hours make it harder to staff voting sites, so they may offer fewer locations.
The measure also moves the early voting period back a day, doing away with the last Saturday before the election. This has been one of the most popular days for people to vote.
"You don't try to increase voter participation by eliminating one of the most popular voting days," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue said.
Blue, D-Wake, then chastised Republicans for their "blind loyalty ... sort of lemming-like behavior."
The Farm Act is Senate Bill 711, which Cooper said runs roughshod over property rights. The bill was pitched as a way to protect farms from nuisance lawsuits, a number of which are pending now from neighbors complaining of odors, insects and vermin near hog farms and, in some cases, spray fields that blow feces into the air.
The measure was one of the most heavily debated of this legislative session, which is set to wrap up Friday.