Governor Cooper Vetoes Three Bills | Eastern North Carolina Now

    RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the following bills:

• House Bill 574: Fairness in Women's Sports Act.
• Senate Bill 49: Parents' Bill of Rights.
• House Bill 808: Gender Transition/Minors.

    Governor Cooper made the following statement on his vetoes of these three bills:

    "For campaign purposes only, Republicans are serving up a triple threat of political culture wars using government to invade the rights and responsibilities of parents and doctors, hurting vulnerable children and damaging our state's reputation and economy like they did with the harmful bathroom bill. Instead of scheming for the next election, Republicans should get to work investing in our public schools and teachers, lowering the cost of living and creating more stability for middle class families."

    Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 574:

    "We don't need politicians inflaming their political culture wars by making broad, uninformed decisions about an extremely small number of vulnerable children that are already handled by a robust system that relies on parents, schools and sports organizations. Republican governors in other states have vetoed similar bills because they hurt their states' reputation and economy and because they are neither fair nor needed."

    Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of SB 49:

    "Parents are the most essential educators for their children and their involvement must be encouraged, but this bill will scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms. This "Don't Say Gay" bill also hampers the important and sometimes lifesaving role of educators as trusted advisers when students have nowhere else to turn. The rights of parents are well established in state law, so instead of burdening schools with their political culture wars, legislators should help them with better teacher pay and more investments in students."

    Governor Cooper made the following statement on his veto of HB 808:

    "A doctor's office is no place for politicians, and North Carolina should continue to let parents and medical professionals make decisions about the best way to offer gender care for their children. Ordering doctors to stop following approved medical protocols sets a troubling precedent and is dangerous for vulnerable youth and their mental health. The government should not make itself both the parent and the doctor."