Cooper vetoes two bills, signs vape regulations & conservation tax credit
Gov. Roy Cooper (File Photo)
Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday vetoed a pair of bills that would have allowed certain off-road vehicles on North Carolina highways and curbed local governments’ involvement in rental disputes.
Cooper signed four other bills into law, including an agriculture bill that contains tax credits for conservation efforts and new regulations on vaping products.
House Bill 155, one of those vetoed by Cooper, would have allowed modified utility vehicles to drive on more roads, including four-lane highways. It received wide support in both the House (92-12) and Senate (46-3).
“These vehicles lack many of the safety features found in traditional vehicles which creates an increased risk of serious injury or death for people on our highways,” Cooper said in a statement explaining the veto.
The other piece of legislation vetoed, House Bill 556, sought to define the role of local governments in policing disputes between tenants and landlords.
In a statement, Cooper said the bill created “legal ambiguity” on eviction orders. And he argued it would “make it harder for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities to find affordable rental housing” by barring local governments from protecting against rent discrimination.
Among those bills signed into law was House Bill 900, which requires the state’s Department of Revenue to create a “directory” of certified vapor products and consumable products eligible for sale.
Retailers that sell products not listed in the directory will face a mandatory inspection, followed by fines and license suspensions.
And Cooper touted his signing of Senate Bill 355 — the “North Carolina Farm Act” — which includes tax credits for property donated for conservation of forestland, farmland, fish and wildlife, among other uses.
“The conservation tax credit I proposed in my budget and passed into law with this bill will help us reach the goal I set of permanently conserving one million new acres of natural lands by 2040,” Cooper said in a statement.
“Protecting forests, wetlands, and farmlands makes us more resilient to climate hazards, reduces carbon in our atmosphere, promotes military readiness, and supports local economies.”
Cooper also signed into law:
Senate Bill 319, which among other provisions makes permanent the firefighters’ cancer insurance program, and makes changes firefighters’ pension payments.
House Bill 199, which makes a series of changes to drivers licenses and DMVs, including allowing drivers to receive digital “mobile drivers licenses.”
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