Aided by key democrats, Republicans override Stein’s vetoes

Republican lawmakers in Raleigh scored key victories this week when a handful of Democrats, including two from Mecklenburg County, voted with their GOP colleagues to override several of Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.

Stein, a Democrat, vetoed 14 bills during his first six months in office; eight were overridden this week, creating new laws without the governor’s signature. The new laws impact issues such as guns, immigration, transgender rights, climate change, schools, parental rights and the state’s power to regulate businesses.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Carla Cunningham, a Charlotte Democrat, drew criticism from fellow Democrats after she delivered a speech on the House floor deriding immigrants as disruptive to local communities.

“As the social scientists report, all cultures are not equal,”