NC Lawmakers override vetoes for anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant bills

On July 29, the North Carolina General Assembly voted to override eight of Governor Josh Stein’s vetoes, ushering in a slate of laws that threaten LGBTQ+ rights and compound harm for marginalized communities. Among them is House Bill 805, a sweeping law that narrows legal recognition of sex, restricts access to gender-affirming care and targets LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools.

HB805 legally defines the terms “male” and “female” in state law to be defined strictly by reproductive anatomy and genetics at birth, excluding gender identity from legal recognition in nearly all contexts. The bill also bans the use of state funds for gender affirming care in prisons and extends the window for malpractice lawsuits related to gender affirming procedures for non-minors to ten years.

In public schools, HB805 grants parents the right to review library materials, opt their children out of instructional content based on religious or moral objections, and request that students not be required to share sleeping quarters on overnight trips with peers of a different “biological sex.” Advocates say these provisions open the door to discrimination against trans and nonbinary youth and further stigmatize LGBTQ+ students.

“HB805 doesn’t just target policies, it targets people,” said Ra’Shawn D. Flournoy, executive director of Quality Comprehensive Health Center, at a press conference on Tuesday. “Every transgender and nonbinary individual has the right to access the care they deserve with dignity, without fear, and without delay.”

The General Assembly also overrode Stein’s veto of HB318, which requires county jails to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including holding people past their scheduled release for ICE pickup. El Pueblo and a coalition of immigrant justice organizations issued a statement warning that the bill will increase racial profiling, enable unconstitutional detentions, and deepen fear among undocumented residents. The group condemned the bill as a direct attack on immigrant communities, emphasizing that HB318 is “not an isolated effort, but part of a broader, coordinated national campaign by anti-civil rights forces to scapegoat and criminalize immigrants for political gain.”

Other overridden vetoes include HB193, allowing private school employees to carry firearms on campus, and SB266, enabling Duke Energy to raise customer rates to fund new nuclear facilities. All eight override votes passed with the support of the Republican majority and three Democrats: Reps. Carla Cunningham, Nasif Majeed, and Shelley Willingham. Their decision to break party lines has drawn sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ and immigrant advocates alike.

“This is a hard day,” wrote Cameron Pruette, executive director of the Freedom Center for Social Justice. “Today’s veto override votes will have harmful, lasting impacts on the people of our state. The fight continues, and we can’t forget the names of those who stood for us and those who didn’t.”