Today, Governor Stein announced the signing of seven bills into law and the vetoing of three others. In a statement regarding his decision to veto Senate Bill 266, he emphasized the need to lower electricity costs for families rather than increase them. “This summer’s record heat and soaring utility bills has shown that we need to focus on lowering electricity costs for working families — not raising them,” he stated. He also expressed concerns about the bill’s potential $23 billion cost to North Carolina ratepayers by 2050 and its impact on carbon emission reduction efforts.
Governor Stein also addressed his veto of House Bill 549, citing concerns over privacy and cybersecurity. “House Bill 549 would grant the Auditor sweeping access to the data and records of any private corporation that accepts any amount of state funding,” he explained. He warned that such power could deter businesses from coming to North Carolina and highlighted potential risks to personal information security.
Regarding Senate Bill 254, Governor Stein described it as an unconstitutional infringement on educational authority in North Carolina. “Senate Bill 254 is an unconstitutional infringement on the authority of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction,” he remarked, stressing the importance of accountability in charter schools.
The bills signed into law include House Bills 620, 928, and 768, along with Senate Bills 472, 710, 690, and 387.
