By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
North Carolina House lawmakers on Wednesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of House Bill 87, a measure that would align the state with a new federal tax credit scholarship program and allow families to benefit from up to $1,700 annually in tax credits tied to educational expenses. The override passed 73–46, with unified Republican support and key backing from two now-unaffiliated lawmakers.
The legislation, known as the Educational Choice for Children Act, enables taxpayers to receive credits for donations to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations. Those funds can then be used by eligible families—generally households earning less than 300% of the area median income—to cover a wide range of education-related costs, including private school tuition, tutoring, transportation, technology, after-school programs, and special education therapies. Supporters argue the program expands access to educational opportunities across public, private, charter, and home school settings without direct cost to the state.
Rep. Neal Jackson, a Republican sponsor of the bill, framed the measure as a broad-based benefit. He said the program “allows taxpayers to voluntarily fund student scholarships” and increases access to quality learning environments for all students.
House Speaker Destin Hall echoed that sentiment after the vote, calling the override “another major win for North Carolina students and parents.”
The vote hinged in part on a notable reversal by Rep. Nasif Majeed of Mecklenburg County, who had opposed the bill nine months earlier but voted Wednesday to override the veto. Majeed, along with Rep. Carla Cunningham, recently left the Democratic Party and registered as unaffiliated after losing their primary elections. Their votes proved decisive, as House Republicans are one seat short of a supermajority and must rely on at least one non-Republican to override gubernatorial vetoes.
Rep. Shelly Willingham, another Democrat who has occasionally sided with Republicans, was absent for the vote.
Democrats strongly opposed the measure, arguing it could undermine public education by redirecting resources and reducing federal tax revenues that support state budgets.
Rep. Julie von Haefen of Wake County warned that “all voucher programs direct funding and resources away from underfunded public schools,” adding that the policy could ultimately harm students who rely on public education systems.
In his veto message issued last year, Stein said he supports school choice in principle but could not back the legislation in its current form. He expressed concern that it would disproportionately benefit families already sending children to private schools while failing to adequately support public school students. Stein also indicated a willingness to opt into the federal program once clearer guidelines are established and if it can be structured to provide more direct benefits to public education.
The federal tax credit program underpinning the bill was created through recent federal legislation backed by President Donald Trump. However, questions remain about how the program will ultimately be implemented, as the U.S. Treasury Department has yet to finalize rules governing its structure. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has indicated that states may have some authority to set conditions on participating scholarship organizations once federal guidelines are in place.
The bill now returns to the North Carolina Senate, where Republicans hold a supermajority and are widely expected to override Stein’s veto, which would allow the measure to become law. If approved, the policy would take effect immediately.
Wednesday’s vote marks the first successful veto override after months of deliberation by House leadership, which has kept several other vetoed bills on the calendar. Those include measures limiting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, loosening concealed carry permit requirements, and increasing cooperation between state and federal immigration authorities. The prospects for overriding those vetoes remain uncertain, as some of the same crossover votes that enabled passage of House Bill 87 may be harder to secure on more contentious issues.
