Wednesday was a frustrating day in North Carolina for people who believe in a transparent food system. The House voted to override the governor’s veto of the Property Protection Act, House Bill 405, by a margin of 79-36. Without any notice at all to the public, the Senate made a special motion to come into session and followed suit minutes later with a 33-15 vote.
Our efforts to sustain the Governor’s veto fell short only by 8 votes in the House, and 4 votes in the Senate. The vote was as close because so many of you called and emailed your legislators and expressed your concerns with the bill, which will subject whistleblowers who expose illegal or unethical activity at almost any business in North Carolina to stiff penalties. Thank you all for taking the time to learn about this bill and to call, email and tweet. Know that you made a difference. No one expected that the Governor would veto this bill; he did because of the pressure that you brought to bear.
Although the tidal wave of calls and emails asking legislators to sustain the Governor’s veto failed to sway many of the members of the General Assembly, a number of legislators heard your voices and voted to maintain transparency in our food system and in other businesses around the state. Our thanks are due to Representatives Harrison, Carney, and Martin as well as Senator Stein spoke on the floor today to explain why this bill is bad for the state. Though it wasn’t enough to change the vote today, it was a lot. You have made a big impression on the legislature this week; you are a force to be reckoned with and that did not go unnoticed.
CFSA remains committed to policies that promote a transparent, sustainable food system in the Carolinas. Please continue to work with us as we move forward from this day.
To see how your Representative and Senator voted Wednesday, click the links below. CFSA encourages you to contact your member to thank them if they voted to sustain the veto. It was a vicious fight; they would probably like to hear some supportive words.
Here is the Senate vote:
Here’s the House vote: