With eight new vetoes announced today, Gov. Roy Cooper extends his record for most pieces of legislation vetoed by a single N.C. chief executive.

Today’s vetoes include bills to reopen exercise and fitness centers; amusement parks, arcades, and venues; and skating rinks and bowling alleys. He vetoed a bill to exempt July 4 celebrations from his COVID-19 emergency lockdown orders. He vetoed a bill to increase checks and balances on his emergency powers.

Cooper now has vetoed 24 bills since 2019. The General Assembly has not voted yet to override any of those vetoes.

In the 2017-18 legislative session, Cooper vetoed 28 bills. With Republican supermajorities in both the N.C. House and Senate, lawmakers voted to override 23 of those 28 vetoes.

Cooper has vetoed far more bills (52) than any of his predecessors since the N.C. governor secured the veto power in the late 1990s.

Other governors compiled the following veto records:

  • Mike Easley (2001-08): Nine bills vetoed (One veto override)
  • Bev Perdue (2009-12): 20 bills vetoed (11 veto overrides)
  • Pat McCrory (2013-2016): Six bills vetoed (Four veto overrides)