With most of the Democratic caucus absent from the chamber, the N.C. House voted to override two of Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. That includes the budget veto that has occupied space on the House calendar for two months.
Over repeated objections and outbursts from the handful of Democrats who were present, Republican legislators voted 55-9 to override the veto of House Bill 966, the budget bill. The 64 votes represented a quorum in the 120-member House.
After voting on the budget, and while Democratic members continued to object, the House voted 54-10 to override the veto of a bill designed to free up funding for a planned transformation of the state’s existing Medicaid program. The bill was unrelated to the Medicaid expansion debate that has pitted Republican legislators against Cooper in recent months.
Shortly after the two override votes, the House recessed until the afternoon.
Senate action is still required to complete the veto overrides of both bills and turn them into law.