NC governor requests more money for juvenile justice system via veto

(The Center Square) – With less than two weeks to the deadline for state budget adjustments, North Carolina’s governor sent another fiscal request at closing time Friday using his veto stamp.

“The Legislature should invest significantly more in our juvenile justice system to ensure resources are available to help prevent crimes and appropriately deal with children who break the law,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in his veto message of a bill that modifies the definition of delinquent juvenile and process for transferring cases for trial as adults.

The 21st veto of this two-year session extended his office record to 96. For context, former Gov. Bev Perdue is next with 20, and Cooper passed that in his first session of 2017-18. The Legislature is 19-for-19 overriding Cooper vetoes this session, 42-for-42 against Cooper when Republicans have the three-fifths majority in each chamber as is now, and 0-for-13 when they do not.

Lawmakers were tardy last year meeting the June 30 deadline for the two-year budget. Ultimately, a $60.7 billion spending plan was settled upon Sept. 22. By Sunday week, adjustments to that spending plan are to be enacted. If unable to meet the deadline, previous plans remain active and there is no stoppage of government.

Cooper’s veto message didn’t include a specific amount of money for the juvenile justice system.

The proposal involves 16- and 17-year-olds accused of serious crimes, and Cooper said it runs afoul of the 5-year-old Raise the Age law. Automatic prosecution in adult court and teen mistakes sticking for a lifetime were benefits of that law, supporters said. Resources and protection of criminal records were other pluses.

Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, leading the push for House Bill 834, according to published reports says high-level felonies headed to adult court anyway are clogging the system. He also supported, and still does, the Raise the Age law. A former prosecutor himself, as is Cooper, Britt is seeking efficiency in the justice system.

Only Sens. Mary Wills Bode, D-Granville, Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, Natalie Murdock, D-Durham, and Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford, voted against the measure in the upper chamber. Rep. John Faircloth, R-Guilford, was the only Republican joining 33 Democrats against the bill in the House.

Cooper, lame duck as a term-limited leader, holds significant sway in his party. Past vetoes of legislation supported by fellow Democrats has often led to changed votes come time for an override. Nineteen of 20 Democratic senators – Sen. DeAndrea Salvador, D-Mecklenburg, is the exception – and 32 of 48 Democratic representatives have done so this session, led by six changes from Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland.

There’s been at least two changes each by the 19 Democrats in the Senate, and 20 Democrats in the House.