(The Center Square) – Even though the governor didn’t agree, lawmakers in North Carolina’s House of Representatives took the last step to make a plan on building codes and regulatory reform law right away.
It was planned for the first week of October for another bill to be vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper based on court papers.
Six Democrats voted for Senate Bill 166, which would have changed the rules for the 2024 building code. It passed 70 to 40. To send it to the governor, the chamber had to pass a conference report first. In May, it did so 72–34 with 11 Democrats voting in favor. The conference report was then passed 77–28 with 14 Democrats voting in favor.
It took 27 to 17 votes in the Senate on Monday to override.
The new rule changes how the Building Code Council works and who can make appointments for the state. It also includes new rules about development, building contractors, design professionals, and the health of the environment.
Cooper, a Democrat who is ending his eighth year in office, said in his message, “This bill stops North Carolina’s building code from adopting innovations in construction and transportation that save consumers money by limiting options for energy efficiency and electric vehicles.”
The position in the Building Code Council was the main thing that made him unhappy.
The plan would cut the number of members appointed by the governor from 17 to 13. The governor would choose seven members, and the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate would choose three each. The things they were good at would also change.
Article 220, Branch-Circuit Feeder, and Service Local Calculations, and Section 220.57, Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Load, of the 2023 North Carolina Electrical Code are referenced in the bill. These rules cover the Electric Vehicle Supply Rule.
North Carolina is becoming a popular place to make alternative-fuel vehicles.
The bill’s summary says, “Despite these rules, EVSE loads must not be used to figure out loads for electrical feeder or service to dwellings subject to the North Carolina Residential Code (Residential Code).” Needs the Council to make a rule that fits with what was said above. Says what council and code are. This rule will no longer apply when the fixed rules take effect.
Out of Cooper’s record 102 vetoes, 49 were overridden by the General Assembly and became law anyway. All 26 of them are part of this two-year session that began in January 2023.
A vote on the ballot in 1995 gave the governor the power to veto. North Carolina was the last state in the country to give its governor this power. The General Assembly can override with at least 30 votes in the Senate and 72 votes in the House.