And Another One: Cooper Vetoes Reg Reform Bill

RALEIGH – If there were ever motivation for Republicans to win back a super-majority in the General Assembly in 2020, getting rid of Governor Roy Cooper’s ability to hold good bills hostage is certainly it. Cooper issued his 37th veto on Friday, this time a regulatory reform bill, because, “it would allow trash cans in hallways, posing a fire safety risk.”

Seriously.

Republicans have been crafting and passing regulatory reform bills nearly every session since 2013. The flip side of the tax cutting coin, streamlining regulations and reducing the burden on businesses and small-business owners allows for better economies and freer people. In the early years, the regulations being reformed were a lot more noticeable, but as the perennial reforms continue the material becomes more mundane. So that means when Cooper want’s to make up a reason to veto a bill of spite, it comes down to trashcans in hallways.

The regulatory reform bill was passed with majorities sufficient to override a veto, but we’ve seen how those votes from Democrats can change once the governor sends to signal.

The veto is in keeping with Cooper’s apparent interest in hamstringing any real progress that doesn’t win him points with the Far Left. If that means standing in the way of a whole budget to force Medicaid expansion, or blocking building code improvements, so be it.