Senate action Thursday means five of governor’s seven recent vetoes overriden

It was another bad day in a bad week for Gov. Roy Cooper. The Senate completed legislative overrides on two more of the governor’s recent spate of seven vetoes. The General Assembly has resurrected five of the seven bills the governor recently rejected.

Senators voted 39-8 on Thursday, June 28, to override Cooper’s veto of House Bill 382, an omnibus insurance act. The House voted 84-35 on an earlier override. Senators voted 30-16 to restore House Bill 717, drawing new judicial maps in a handful of counties to align district and superior courts, and prosecutorial districts. The earlier House vote was 74-45.

The Senate nullified those vetoes with scant debate as the legislative session moved closer to a possible final adjournment on Friday.

Cooper, whose 23 vetoes are more than any previous governor’s total, also vetoed more bills in a two-year legislative session than his predecessors. He also has the record for suffering the most overrides. Including Thursday’s Senate action, the General Assembly has reversed 18 of his vetoes.

Here is a look at the other veto overrides from this week:

Senate Bill 711, which Republicans said was vital to protect farmers and the agriculture industry from nuisance lawsuits. The House voted 74-45; the Senate voted 37-9.

Senate Bill 325, the Uniform and Expanded Early Voting Act. The House voted 74-45; the Senate voted 34-12.

House Bill 374, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2018. The House voted 75-44; the Senate voted 34-11.

Two of Cooper’s most recent series of vetoes remain in effect.

Neither chamber took override votes on Cooper’s veto of House Bill 131, a standalone measure allowing bail bond forfeiture judgments to be set aside under certain circumstances. The same language was included in the omnibus insurance act that became law with a veto override, so further action wasn’t needed on H.B. 131.

House Bill 1055, the Retirement Complexity Reduction Act of 2018, which would save costs in the state retirement and health plans, doesn’t appear on the House or Senate calendar for an override vote.