Legislative Update from Rep. Iler — August 4, 2025
Last week at the North Carolina General Assembly was fast and efficient, after several weeks away from Raleigh. During July we saw 14 bills vetoed by the Governor. On one day, Tuesday, we were able to override 8 of his vetoes in the House and Senate, and they became law. 6 remain on the calendar for future sessions.
- House Bill 193 – Firearm Law Revisions allows authorized persons in non-public schools to be armed, similarly to public school resource officers. It passed 72 – 48, the required three-fifths vote, and 29 – 19 in the Senate.
- House Bill 318 – The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act clarifies that the laws that require local authorities to cooperate with ICE are enforceable. It passed 72 – 48 and 30 – 19 respectively.
- House Bill 402 – Limit Rules with Substantial Financial Costs requires General Assembly approval of rules that exceed $20 million in cost, and other limits. It passed 73 – 47 and 30 – 19 respectively.
- House Bill 549 – Clarify Powers of State Auditor allows the auditor to audit not only state agencies, but also state financial transactions with private entities. It passed 72 – 48 and 30 – 19.
- House Bill 805 – Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors recognizes 2 genders, prevents gender transition practices on minors, gives parents the right to know what library books to which their children are exposed, among others. It passed 72 – 48 and 30 – 19.
- Senate Bill 266 – Power Bill Reduction Act pushes back deadlines on shutting down carbon operations, giving utilities more time to transition, and lowering bill-payers’ costs. It passed 74 – 46 and 30 – 18.
- Senate Bill 416 – Personal Privacy Protection Act restricts state agencies from revealing personal information. It passed 74 – 46 and 30 – 19.
- Senate Bill 254 – Charter School Changes gives more review of charter schools and creates the NC Office of Charter Schools. It passed 74 – 46 and 30 – 19.
FYI: On all these overrides we had the assistance of both parties in the House.
Another bill of interest was Senate Bill 55 – Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons (also known as “the squatters bill”) gives homeowners a better procedure for removing illegal occupiers of their property. It passed 110 – 8 and 49 – 0.
Not all the important action was on Tuesday. On Wednesday we had the opportunity to pass a mini budget. House Bill 125 – Continuing Budget Operations includes the step increases for teachers, enrollment growth funding for community colleges and K – 12, as well as other mutually agreed budget items. It passed by 110 – 8 in the House and 47 – 2 in the Senate and was presented to the Governor on Friday, August 1st.
Senate Bill 245 – Expand Remote Drivers License Services creates more opportunities to renew licenses online, including basic licenses as well as professional drivers’ licenses. It passed 109 – 7 and went to the Senate.
We also had an adjournment resolution which calls for our adjournment until August 26th. This is known as a date certain, which means we are no longer technically in session, like in July, but does not end the 2025 – 2026 General Assembly session. We will likely be back on this date for more possible veto overrides or additional budget actions.
As usual, I will only write an article when there is news from Raleigh, and try to keep it factual, not political. Even though the NC House is not in session, our duties continue as members stay busy visiting around their districts meeting with groups and individuals, which many of us consider the best part of the job. Rep. Miller and I feel fortunate to represent Brunswick County, such a pivotal county in Southeastern NC and the state.