A measure that would affect public education in North Carolina advanced on May 20 after the annulment of the Governor's Josh Stein in the House of Representatives.
The vote, approved by 73 votes in favor and 46 against, had the support of former Democratic legislators, now independents, Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeedwho allied themselves with Republican lawmakers to provide the "magic number" of 72 votes needed for the bill to move forward.
Now, HB 87, titled “Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA)It now goes to the state Senate for a final vote.
What is HB 87 about?
The proposed HB 87 would allow North Carolina to participate in a federal school voucher program, which expands tax breaks for people who donate money to organizations that offer educational scholarships.
These scholarships could be used to pay for private schools, homeschooling programs, and other K-12 educational expenses.
In addition, the project requires the state to maintain an official list of organizations authorized to award these scholarships.
During the debate on the bill, Republican Representative Neal Jackson said that this federal program would expand educational opportunities for all. students from North Carolina.
However, on the other hand, Democratic Representative Julie von Haefen noted that the bill would hinder public education.
“Voting today to override this veto will further harm students and undermine the public education“All voucher programs, all voucher programs, divert resources from underfunded public schools,” von Haefen stated.
Impact on the community
When the project was being debated in August 2025, the The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) argued that the project could divert support and resources from public schools towards private educational options.
And, according to the NCAE, for rural communities, the diversion or withdrawal of funds would be even more severe.
“Private school options are scarce, but these communities will lose out anyway as resources are diverted from local public schools,” NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly said in the press release.
The NC Budget and Tax Center also warned that being part of the federal program could primarily benefit higher-income families and increase federal costs over time.
According to the organization, the federal government would reimburse up to $1,700 to those who donate to organizations that fund private educational scholarships, which could represent a loss of federal revenue of between $3 and $4 billion per year.
Why had the governor given him his veto?
On August 6, 2025, the Governor vetoed bill HB 87He added that Congress and the Trump Administration should strengthen public schools, not dismantle them.
“Cutting billions of dollars in funding for public education, while giving billions in tax breaks to wealthy parents who already send their children to private schools, is the wrong decision,” Stein said in a press release in August.
However, he added that he might support the federal program if it is used to benefit public school students.
“Once the federal government issues solid guidelines on this matter, I intend to bring North Carolina into the program so that we can invest in those public school students who most need after-school programs, tutoring, and other resources. Therefore, HB 87 is unnecessary; for this reason, I am vetoing it,” he said.
What's next for the measure?
Now that the House voted to override the governor's veto, the Senate has officially received the bill back for a vote. It is currently in the Senate Rules and Operations Committee.
If approved in the Senate with the required majority, the veto would be overridden and the bill would become law.
You might be interested in: Seven Latinos graduate in manufacturing education from the NC Fame program
What about the governor's other vetoes?
During the so-called "short session" of the legislature, this is the first time the House of Representatives has overridden a veto.
Now, there are five other bills pending on the calendar.
Among them, one that would allow four state agencies, including the Highway Patrol, to sign 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), another that would reduce in North Carolina the minimum age to carry a weapon hidden from 21 to 18 years, three relationships to the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in various educational and state institutions.
“I think they’re going to put every veto they have the votes for to a vote; in fact, they put the veto they had the votes for to a vote today,” said Robert Reives, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives. Enlace Latino NC.
“They didn’t think they had the necessary votes for the other vetoes, but if they feel they do, they know how this works,” he added.
Regarding his stance on how he will vote on the bills currently on the agenda, Majeed, who voted in line with Republican lawmakers on this vote, as well as on votes on other bills passed on May 20, told Enlace Latino NC "I'll have to face that moment when it comes."
PODCAST
After the storm
A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
🎧 In this episode, learn how Latino organizations transformed crisis into resilience.
▶️Press play to listen!
Republish our stories for free on your website or newspaper. We follow the Creative Commons license. Click the box and follow the instructions.
