Stein criticizes veto override on school choice tax credit bill
RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein criticized the General Assembly’s override of his veto of House Bill 87, a measure titled the Educational Choice for Children Act.
The governor’s office released a statement June 3 after lawmakers overrode the veto. The General Assembly’s bill page now lists House Bill 87 as Session Law 2026-6.
Stein said he vetoed the bill because the state was awaiting guidance from the federal government before opting into the program. In his statement, he said lawmakers moved ahead despite not receiving that guidance.
House Bill 87 concerns North Carolina’s participation in the Educational Choice for Children Act. Earlier versions of the legislation centered on allowing residents to participate in a federal tax credit program connected to donations to certain nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations.
The governor’s statement did not announce further action but made clear his objection was tied to the timing of the state’s opt-in decision and the absence of federal guidance at the time of the override.
The override marks another point of conflict between the governor and the Republican-led legislature over education policy. School choice, private school scholarship programs and public school funding have remained recurring issues at the General Assembly.
Supporters of school choice programs generally argue that families should have more options for where students attend school, including private and nontraditional settings. Critics have raised concerns about accountability, public school funding and whether public dollars or tax benefits should support private education.
The bill’s new session law status means the veto override has taken effect unless later legal, administrative or legislative changes affect implementation.
State agencies and participating organizations may still need additional federal guidance or rulemaking details before residents know exactly how the program will operate in practice.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
