Stein signs four bills, criticizes ‘petty’ limits on governor’s office

Earlier this week, Stein withdrew Jeff Smythe’s nomination as secretary for the Department of Public Safety.

By: Christine Zhu

Outlets: North Carolina Newsline

Published: August 12, 2026

Words: 617

Last Updated: 6 days, 9 hours ago

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed four bills into law this week, calling out one of them for imposing “petty provisions” on his office’s power.

House Bill 268 makes technical corrections to the 2026 budget.

Stein praised the legislation for strengthening disaster relief, teacher workforce pipelines, and economic development programs.

However, the bill also includes a provision that requires a member of the governor’s cabinet to vacate their office if the …

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