As the 2024 election creeps closer, North Carolina legislators have given us yet another demonstration of why we deserve much better from the General Assembly we’re electing this November.
Both chambers voted to overturn Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of S166, Building Code Regulatory Reform, which we and our allies in clean energy advocacy joined the governor in opposing. The omnibus bill blocked desperately needed updates to the state building code to improve energy efficiency in new construction. It also removed subject-matter experts from the state's building code council, such as architects, local government officials and public "at-large" representatives, while enhancing the influence of developers.
As Cooper described in his veto message: "By limiting options for energy efficiency and electric vehicles, this legislation prevents North Carolina’s building code from adopting innovations in construction and mobility that save consumers money."
The General Assembly's main focus this week was on a conference committee report for H10, Requires ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments, which originally focused on requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in detaining undocumented immigrants. The conference committee essentially turned the bill into a mini-budget, as reflected in its modified title, with a new section that would fund the controversial Opportunity Scholarships that provide state funding assistance for students of means to attend private schools.
The measure was passed and sent to the governor. But in a social media post just before the mini-session, Cooper bluntly expressed his distaste for the legislation, so it's likely we're going to see yet another veto.
Lawmakers have three more mini-sessions on the calendar, in early October, mid-November after the election, and early December. Stay tuned for what will likely be more shenanigans!