RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law two more bills that mimic portions of the state budget bill he vetoed in June.
The Democratic governor announced Monday that he signed a measure increasing access to grant money for rural broadband projects. The other bill locates money for more prosecutors, judges and judicial staff as more young offenders get funneled to the juvenile system instead of adult court. Cooper signed that bill even while criticizing some position allocations as politically motivated.
Republican lawmakers have run several stand-alone bills containing popular sections from the vetoed budget. Cooper opposes the piecemeal approach but so far has signed all but one “mini-budget.” So many have been enacted that GOP legislators may be content to adjourn soon without resolution on the vetoed budget.
The bills are the latest stand-alone measures Republicans created by copying portions of the larger budget Cooper vetoed in June. While the Democratic governor and GOP lawmakers have been in a stalemate over the larger budget, Cooper has signed all but one of the “mini-budgets” to date.
After the Senate meets on Thursday, legislators don’t plan more votes until at least Oct. 21.
