North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoes anti-trans, anti-DEI bills

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed three bills that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and one that had anti-transgender provisions and would have let parents opt their children out of instruction on certain subjects.

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Stein, a Democrat, vetoed the bills Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

Senate Bill 227 would have eliminated DEI programs in public K-12 schools. Senate Bill 558 would have banned the teaching of certain concepts related to DEI in public higher education, such as the North Carolina university system. House Bill 171 would have ended DEI in state and local governments.

House Bill 805 would have prohibited state-funded gender-affirming surgeries or hormone treatment for prison inmates. It also would have said North Carolina officially recognizes only two genders, and if a trans person updates their birth certificate, it would have required the original birth certificate to be attached. Another provision would have required school boards to let parents or guardians request that their children be excused from any activity, discussion, or assigned reading that “would impose a substantial burden on the student’s religious beliefs” or “invade the student’s privacy by calling attention to the student’s religion.” The bill started as a measure to protect women and children from sexual exploitation, but all these provisions were added.

“At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us,” Stein said in a press release. “These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education. Therefore, I am vetoing them. I stand ready to work with the legislature when it gets serious about protecting people and addressing North Carolinians’ pressing concerns.”

He also issued veto messages saying “Our diversity is our strength” and “We should not whitewash history … or ban books.”

Legislators could try to override his vetoes. In the House, Republicans are one vote short of a veto-proof majority, the AP reports. The DEI bills received no Democratic votes, but one Democrat voted in favor of the bill with anti-trans and student opt-out provisions.

Then Monday, Stein signed a bill to expand North Carolina's Medicaid program. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that pays for health care for low-income people and some with disabilities; many LGBTQ+ people rely on Medicaid coverage.

“This bill will strengthen North Carolina's Medicaid program by providing coverage for women who have just given birth for 12 months, making telehealth services more accessible, and launching a new statewide Medicaid health plan for children and young adults served by the child welfare system," the governor said in a press release.

"However, much is still needed from our state legislature when it comes to protecting Medicaid, including a full rebase to preserve current services and a serious effort to defend against devastating federal cuts," he added. The federal budget bill signed into law by Donald Trump last week will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next several years, ending coverage for millions of people.