RALEIGH – The General Assembly overrode on Wednesday Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto last month of House Bill 56.
The contentious environmental bill includes GenX-related funding for the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, which supplies drinking water to much of the Wilmington area, and the repeal of the Outer Banks plastic bag ban.
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WRAL reports that after the 70-44 vote in the House, the Senate voted 30-9 with no debate in favor of the override.
H56, in addition to Gen-X related funding, includes other controversial environmental provisions, such as looser stormwater controls and a new provision that would strike a law giving counties say over collection of solid waste in their jurisdictions.
Governor Cooper issued the following response to the legislature’s vote to override the veto of HB 56: “When it comes to drinking water, legislators should put politics aside and listen to experts. This legislation does not solve the problem and fails to fund the agencies responsible for protecting drinking water and holding polluters accountable. It also unnecessarily rolls back other environmental protections and overturns a local plastic bag ban protecting beaches and water. Protecting drinking water from emerging contaminants will require a statewide solution and families shouldn’t suffer under the illusion that this legislation starts fixing the problem.”
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