Today, Governor Cooper vetoed House Bill 205, An Act to Amend Provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act Relating to Prisoners and to the Rebuttable Presumption Regarding Newsprint Employees; To Modernize Publication of Legal Advertisements and Notices; To Allow Guilford County and Any Municipality in Guilford County to Use Electronic Means to Provide Public Notice in Lieu of Publication; And to Allow Guilford County to Opt to Post Legal Advertisements and Notices on the County Web Site for a Fee with Monies Collected to Be Used for Local Supplements for Teacher Salary and Other County Needs.
Gov. Cooper shared the following veto message:
"Included in this legislation is an important change to the Prison Industry Enhancement Program that I do support. I urge the legislature to address that separately and I will sign it.
However, time and again, this legislature has used the levers of big government to attack important institutions in our state who may disagree with them from time to time. Unfortunately, this legislation is another example of that misguided philosophy meant to specifically threaten and harm the media. Legislation that enacts retribution on the media threatens a free and open press, which is fundamental to our democracy."