North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Vetoes First Bill of 2024 Legislative Session

Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In his first veto of the 2024 legislative session, Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday blocked passage of a transportation bill that contains billboard rule changes that he said would hinder the state’s natural beauty.

The bill includes several changes to transportation laws, many of which were recommended by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It adds higher processing fees for people who haven’t paid road toll bills, increases the number of pilot transportation projects the department can award contracts for and renames several bridges across the state.

But most criticism of the bill, including from Cooper, centers around a provision that expands the area where billboard owners are permitted to cut down vegetation along roadways. It would allow for redbud trees, a previously protected species that blooms with pink flowers during spring, to be removed during the clearing process.

“Redbuds and other trees that were threatened by this ill-conceived bill support carbon sequestration, pollinator propagation, and wildlife habitat,” North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club director Erin Carey said in a statement supporting Cooper’s veto.

The bill was the result of a year’s worth of negotiations that included input from a wide variety of stakeholders, Columbus County Republican Rep. Brenden Jones said on the House floor Wednesday.

The legislation passed along party lines in the Senate on May 15, but six House Democrats voted with Republicans on Wednesday to approve the bill and send it to the governor’s desk.

Now the bill returns to the General Assembly, where GOP lawmakers have narrow veto-proof majorities in both chambers. Senate Republicans already indicated in a statement after Cooper’s veto that they plan to override it, although the process will first begin in the House.

The General Assembly overrode all 19 of Cooper’s vetoes from 2023.

Featured photo via AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker.

‹

Fencing Being Installed on Orange Grove Road Causing Overnight Lane Closures

Motorists using Orange Grove Road may see some delays over the next few weeks as state crews are working on the roadway. North Carolina Department of Transportation crews will be installing a chain-link fence on the existing bridge, according to a release. That work will take place where the thoroughfare crosses I-40 in Hillsborough and […]

DOT Work Closes Portion of Orange Grove Road

A section of Orange Grove Road will be closed in both directions beginning Monday as North Carolina Department of Transportation crews replace a deteriorating pipe under the roadway. Officials say Orange Grove Road will be closed between Teer Road and Dairyland Road beginning at nine o’clock Monday morning. A 10-mile detour has been established utilizing […]

Truck Crash on Interstate 85 South Closes Lane and Orange Grove Road in Hillsborough

The crash of a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 85 South in Hillsborough is leading to major traffic delays and closures on Tuesday afternoon.

'Not A Time For Political Hobby-ism': Orange County's NC Senator Urges Action Amid Authoritarian Shift

North Carolina Senator Graig Meyer, who represents Orange County, offered advice to his constituents who feel disheartened or disillusioned.

Orange County Sheriff Blackwood Appointed to Chair of North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission

After serving on the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission for nearly eight years, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood will now have the chance to lead the group.

Local U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee Boycotts Trump's Congressional Address, Citing President's Lies

Orange, Durham and Chatham County's U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee did not attend President Donald Trump's address to Congress Tuesday evening.

Orange County's NC Reps, Local Governments React to Anti-Diversity and Equity Measures

As a bill in the North Carolina House aims to ban diversity improvement efforts, local elected officials from Orange County are speaking out.

2024 Candidate Introductions: North Carolina House Districts 50 and 56

Orange County is represented by two districts in the North Carolina House: District 56 (Chapel Hill and Carrboro) and District 50 (the rest).

Morinaga Set to Expand Orange County Manufacturing Plant, Invest $136 Million in New Facility

After nearly ten years of successful operations in western Orange County, Morinaga will expand its facility for producing HI-CHEW candies.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Vetoes First Bill of 2024 Legislative Session

In his first veto of 2024, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper blocked a bill that would allow more trees to be cut back in favor of billboards.

›