Vetoed DEI, gun and immigration bills remain on House calendar
RALEIGH — Five vetoed bills dealing with diversity programs, gun laws and immigration enforcement remain listed on the North Carolina House calendar as lawmakers return to Raleigh.
The House calendar for Monday, June 1, lists veto overrides as eligible for consideration and includes several previously vetoed measures under unfinished business. The bills include House Bill 171, Senate Bill 50, Senate Bill 153, Senate Bill 227 and Senate Bill 558.
House Bill 171, titled “Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI,” would restrict diversity, equity and inclusion policies in state agencies. Senate Bill 227, titled “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Education,” deals with DEI programs in public education, while Senate Bill 558 addresses DEI in public higher education. Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the DEI-related bills in 2025.
Senate Bill 50, titled “Freedom to Carry NC,” is a gun bill that includes concealed carry provisions. The bill has been described in legislative tracking materials as vetoed and awaiting possible further action.
Senate Bill 153, titled the “North Carolina Border Protection Act,” was vetoed by Stein on June 20, 2025, according to the bill summary posted through the Legislative Reporting Service. The measure has been part of the Legislature’s broader debate over immigration enforcement and state cooperation with federal authorities.
The continued listing of the bills does not mean votes will occur Monday. Legislative calendars can change, and measures may remain on the calendar for multiple sessions before being taken up. But the placement keeps the bills available for action if House leadership chooses to move them.
The House has already returned to veto override fights this session. Last month, the chamber voted to override one of Stein’s 2025 vetoes on an education tax-related bill, showing that unresolved vetoes remain active legislative business in the short session.
Override votes in North Carolina require support from three-fifths of lawmakers present and voting in each chamber. That makes attendance and party unity central to any vote, particularly in the House, where narrow margins can determine whether a veto is sustained or overridden.
The bills touch some of the most politically charged issues before the General Assembly: public education governance, higher education policy, state agency rules, gun rights and immigration enforcement. If taken up, the votes would give lawmakers another chance to define their positions on issues likely to carry into the 2026 campaign season.
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.
