North Carolina House lawmakers voted on Wednesday to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill that would add the state to a federal program that gives families up to $1,700 off their taxes for donating to nonprofits that give scholarships to K-12 students.
The federal tax credit was created by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The scholarships can be used for private school tuition, tutoring, and other services.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had called on the governor to opt the state into the program. In vetoing the bill last year, Stein said he intended to join the program if it could be used to benefit public school students instead of private ones.
The Senate is also expected to override the veto. Stein’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The House voted nearly along party lines to override the governor, with the exception of three lawmakers who lost in Democratic primaries in March.
Unaffiliated Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, who left the party after the primary, supported the override. Majeed had opposed the bill when it was considered last year. Democratic Rep. Shelly Willingham wasn’t present for the vote.
“Gov. Stein and Democrats tried to stand in the way of giving families more control over their children’s education, but Republicans, yet again, stood firmly on the side of educational freedom,” House Speaker Destin Hall said in a statement. “This vote was about trusting parents and giving students more choices, because when our kids succeed, North Carolina succeeds.”