Gov. Cooper lets anti-riot bill become law without his signature

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - Gov. Roy Cooper let two bills become law without his signature on Friday.

House Bill 40 allowed for increased prison time and allowed property owners to sue for up to three times the actual damage sustained. The N.C. Senate passed the bill March 9.

Republicans pushed for these changes after the 2020 violence in Raleigh and other cities in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Cooper had vetoed a similar bill in 2021. However, Senate Republicans now have a veto-proof supermajority.

“I acknowledge that changes were made to modify this legislation’s effect after my veto of a similar bill last year. Property damage and violence are already illegal and my continuing concerns about the erosion of the First Amendment and the disparate impacts on communities of color will prevent me from signing this legislation,” Governor Cooper said in a statement.

The other piece of legislation, Senate Bill 53, is an act that clarifies that occupants of “hotel, motel, or other accommodations do not create tenancy.”

“This bill was given broad support in the legislature and there are potential positive modifications being discussed by legislators. However safe housing is sometimes only available from temporary shelter such as hotels, and I remain concerned that this bill will legalize unfair treatment for those who need protection, and this will prevent me from signing it,” Cooper said.