RALEIGH (AP) — Republicans dominating a half-empty North Carolina House chamber have voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state’s two-year budget.
The unexpected vote Wednesday morning came without dozens of Democrats on the House floor. Republican leaders tried for months to locate enough votes to meet the threshold for an override, largely through winning over enough Democrats. They finally got what they wanted because Democrats opposed to the budget weren’t at their seats.
The override isn’t complete — the Senate still must hold a vote on the issue, but Republicans would only need one Democrat there to secure victory.