RALEIGH:  Governor Roy Cooper signed the following bills into law:

• House Bill 813: The Pretrial Integrity Act.

• House Bill 790: Innocence Inquiry Commission Provisions.

• House Bill 34: Protect Those Who Serve and Protect Act.

• House Bill 627: On-Site Wastewater Rules Implementation.

• House Bill 605: School Threat Assessment Teams.

• House Bill 344: Mental Health Lic. Fair Practice Stds.

• Senate Bill 389: Parent Consent to Donate Blood/Tech Correct.

• House Bill 815: The Loving Homes Act.

• Senate Bill 135: Registered Vet. Tech. Modification.

• Senate Bill 45: CADC Supervision Requirements.

• Senate Bill 507: Chiropractic Preceptorship Modifications.

Governor Cooper also vetoed the following bills:

• House Bill 618: Charter School Review Board.

• House Bill 488: Code Council Reorg. and Var. Code Amend.

Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 618:

“The North Carolina Constitution clearly gives the State Board of Education the oversight authority for public schools, including charter schools. This bill is a legislative power grab that turns that responsibility over to a commission of political friends and extremists appointed by Republican legislators, making it more likely that faulty or failing charter schools will be allowed to operate and shortchange their students. Oversight of charter schools should be conducted by education experts not partisan politicians.”

Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 488:

“This bill stops important work to make home construction safer from disaster and more energy efficient, and ultimately will cost homeowners and renters more money. The bill also imperils North Carolina’s ability to qualify for FEMA funds by freezing residential building code standards. Not only does the bill wipe out years of work to make homes safer and more affordable, it also violates the Constitution by rigging the way rules are made.”

Background on HB 488:  

By rigging the board to require 9 votes to approve rules and conduct business, the bill violates the Constitution by failing to follow McCrory v. Berger despite giving the Governor 7 appointments to the legislature’s 6. The bill also requires board members to undergo Senate confirmation and takes away the Governor’s ability to remove an appointee. These changes violate the separation of powers clause and further allows the legislature to put its thumb on the scale in these important safety decisions. 

Governor Cooper also declined to sign two bills into law:

• Senate Bill 246: Property Owners Protection Act.

• Senate Bill 171: Department of Public Safety Agency Bill.-AB