Cooper Signs Retention Groups, Vaping, Work Zone Safety Bills in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed four bills Wednesday that include the creation of a new registry for vaping products and a slew of changes related to transportation laws and the state DMV.

Cooper also vetoed two other bills ahead of his anticipated participation with other Democratic governors in a meeting with President Joe Biden later on Wednesday.

One of the bills signed by Cooper focuses on creating a registry under the North Carolina Department of Revenue for certified vapor products — like e-cigarettes — or consumables containing nicotine at the end of the year. Certification for those products would be mandatory for manufacturers to sell in North Carolina.

There will be penalties for sellers and manufacturers who don’t abide by the new regulations. Both would be subject to varying fee amounts, and manufacturers could be charged with a misdemeanor.

Another approved bill makes a wide variety of changes to transportation laws. The modifications include creating digital drivers licenses that can be displayed on mobile devices, printing temporary registration plates on-demand, implementing a work zone safety course and increasing littering penalties.

The third piece of legislation is the state’s annual Farm Act. Under this year’s iteration, agricultural areas would be exempt from municipal stormwater fees and a tax credit for certain types of land conservation-related donations would be enacted, among other alterations.

The last bill signed by Cooper, Senate Bill 319, makes various changes to insurance law, including tax cuts for captive insurers and risk retention groups.

Two other bills did not make the cut. The first bill allows for title certification for all-terrain and utility vehicles, as well as permits modified utility vehicles to travel on any roads that are 55 mph or less, which Cooper said would pose a risk on state highways.

The second bill makes several changes regarding tenancy and landlords. Cooper criticized a portion of the bill for barring cities from passing ordinances that stop landlords from refusing to lease to someone who pays for rent with funds from federal housing assistance programs.

Although the General Assembly adjourned, it has a list of dates where lawmakers can reconvene to take up certain actions, which includes the consideration of veto overrides. Republican supermajorities in both chambers make the prospect of overrides likely.

The next date to reconvene is July 10.

Cooper’s decisions came hours before Biden’s meeting with other Democratic governors, in which the governor’s office confirmed Cooper would be attending virtually. The meeting follows a rough week for Biden’s campaign, sparked by his debate performance that led to pundits and some officials calling for him to pull out of the presidential race.

Last week, the governor stumped for Biden at his rally in Raleigh — the first campaign stop the president made following his debate in Atlanta. Cooper told the cheering crowd that Biden “saved this nation” in 2020 and needed to do it again in 2024.

“If Joe Biden wins North Carolina, he’s president of the United States,” Cooper said last week.

Topics North Carolina