CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Last week, Governor Cooper announced that he will not veto a bill that increases the punishments for rioting. The bill is similar to one that Cooper successfully vetoed in 2021.
The General Assembly sent the bill to Cooper’s desk earlier this month. By not signing the bill or vetoing it… Cooper cleared the way for the bill to become law in December.
The bill increases the punishments already in place for inciting or participating in a riot and creates new crimes for participation that causes death. Property owners will also be able to sue rioters for property damages.
The reason behind Cooper’s change in heart is likely a numbers game. In 2021, there was enough Democrat support in the General Assembly to prevent Cooper’s veto from being overridden. Since then, the General Assembly has become a lot more conservative, with Republicans now having a supermajority in the Senate and being only one seat away in the House.
Six House Democrats voted for the bill, and one of them is a primary sponsor. If Cooper vetoed the bill, it would likely be overridden by his own party. His decision to let the bill pass without his signature avoids the first override showdown this session.