As reported by my colleague Ward Clark earlier, a significant event unfolded in the Republican-led General Assembly of North Carolina. The House and Senate overrode Democratic Governor Josh Stein’s veto of HB 805, a bill that officially defines the terms man and woman in state legislation.

Override #5 Is Done.

The NC House has just overridden HB 805. The highlights of HB 805 include:

✅ Stating only two sexes (male & female)

✅ No taxpayer funded gender transitions

✅ Parental control in schools and libraries #ncpol pic.twitter.com/SZHTr92nSh

— Rep. Brenden Jones (@BrendenJonesNC) July 29, 2025

This scenario becomes even more intriguing because, unlike the Senate’s veto-proof majority, the House falls short by one vote due to the 2024 elections. However, a House Democrat, Rep. Nasif Majeed, joined Republicans in the override, stating, “I encountered some moral dilemmas and needed to rely on my personal values.”

NC House Speaker Destin Hall has said the GOP would operate with a “functioning” supermajority — despite being 1 seat short.

He was right. Today, Republicans are overriding Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes with help from Democrats:

Carla Cunningham, Shelly Willingham, and Nasif Majeed. pic.twitter.com/ayPdAonoN2

— Andy Specht (@AndySpecht) July 29, 2025

For the House and Senate Democrats, the day proved challenging as seven out of Governor Stein’s 14 vetoes were overturned, with assistance from some Democrats. These vetoes included measures such as arming private school teachers and enhancing cooperation between sheriffs’ offices and ICE:

The Republicans succeeded in overriding a gun-related veto with House Bill 193. This law now grants private schools the ability to allow teachers, parents, or volunteers to carry firearms on campus, essentially serving as security personnel.

[…]

House Bill 318 has also become law, mandating local sheriff’s offices to collaborate more effectively with federal authorities on deportation efforts. Additionally, it requires sheriffs to hold suspected illegal immigrants for up to 48 hours after their expected release, a mandate that Governor Stein argues is unconstitutional.

Rep. Carla Cunningham, the only House Democrat who voted to override the veto of HB 318, delivered a speech that resembled a Republican stance on border security at various moments.

This led to members of the gallery attempting to shut her up, and at least one House Democrat, Deb Butler, tried to do the same. But House Speaker Destin Hall (R) cleared the way for Cunningham to continue:

The controversial moment Rep. Carla Cunningham, a democrat from Mecklenburg County, votes to override Gov. Stein’s veto on HB 318, an immigration enforcement law.

In her speech, she said: “It’s time to wake up.” #ncpol @WCNC pic.twitter.com/0KdSocw6XS

— Julie Kay (@JulieKayTV) July 29, 2025

Read excerpts from her speech below (it went on for roughly six minutes):

NC Democrat Carla Cunningham was interrupted twice — by an audience member and by a colleague — in a speech criticizing US immigration policy.

“All cultures are not equal.”

“Turn the conveyor belt off.”

She cast the deciding vote on a bill requiring sheriffs to work with ICE. pic.twitter.com/aO57bTPoRY

— Andy Specht (@AndySpecht) July 29, 2025

The full speech can be read here.

Predictably, some of her colleagues are already insinuating that Cunningham is a racist, but she’s used to it, having voted with Republicans on illegal immigration-related bills before.

All in all, it was a normal one for North Carolina Democrats on the whole who, this time around, have their colleagues – and not Republicans – to blame for losing. Again:

During a veto override vote in the General Assembly, Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg) scolded colleagues to “stop thinking that somehow owning a gun and possessing a gun is a God-given right from the US or NC constitution. It is not! It is NOT a God-given right!”#NCpol #NCGA #2A

— Pete Kaliner (@PeteKaliner) July 29, 2025

Democrats totally crashing out in the North Carolina General Assembly over veto overrides. #ncpol #ncga pic.twitter.com/OfQsEfZTb6

— Nick Craig (@nicholasmcraig) July 29, 2025

Bless their hearts.

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