Gov. Bev Perdue recently set a record by issuing 15 vetoes this year. This number is actually five more than the total number of vetoes ever issued in the 14 years since the governor first got the power to veto bills. However, it appears the General Assembly is not going to let the governor outshine them. The Senate has already passed overrides of 6 of these vetoes and the House agreed by overriding 3 vetoes just yesterday.
This means that S781(Regulatory Reform), S496(Medicaid/Health Choice Provider Requirement and S33(Medical Malpractice Reform) are now law in North Carolina, despite the Governor’s objections. All three bills look to promote business growth in North Carolina and save money, but at what cost? S33 restricts injured persons’ rights to trial and to a jury and gives financial breaks only to healthcare and insurance companies. Do lawmakers have the citizens’ best interests at heart or has this become an immature fight between two different parties in which no one wants to compromise for the greater good of society?
The House still has 6 more vetoes on the calendar this week for potential overrides. Hopefully, they will consider how these new policies will affect everyone and not just corporations. Hopefully, it will be these consequences that decide the final vote and not party ties and the need for vindication.
