Wearing masks in public will be illegal, with exceptions, after NC veto override vote

After a contentious trip through the North Carolina General Assembly, a bill banning masks in public, with some exceptions, and a campaign finance provision, is set to become law.

At the end of June Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed House Bill 237, “various criminal and election law changes” citing concerns over the mask ban, but more vehemently opposing the campaign finance section which would allow federal contributions to North Carolina candidates and dark money.

"This legislation creates a gaping loophole for secret, unlimited campaign money in the middle of an election year," Cooper said in a press release. "While voters are kept in the dark, this scheme allows anonymous out-of-state billionaires to flood North Carolina with campaign contributions to rescue extreme right-wing candidates that Republicans now fear will lose. The legislation also removes protections and threatens criminal charges for people who want to protect their health by wearing a mask."

Senate vote:Despite harsh criticism, NC Senate passes bill banning masks in public

The bill made its way through the legislature amid student protests on college campuses nationally and in North Carolina over the Israel-Hamas war, and supporters claimed it was necessary to protect against violence from people hiding their identity with masks.

In its early versions, it outlawed masks with no health exceptions. After much dissent from Democrats and disability rights advocates, they reached a compromise: Surgical masks could be worn in public if being used to protect against contagious diseases.

Despite Cooper’s veto, the House (70-46) and Senate (30-14), overrode it last week with their Republican majorities.

The campaign finance provision, which comes just four months before North Carolinians head to the polls, would make it more difficult to track where donations come from and will likely benefit Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson more than Democratic candidate Josh Stein, who has outraised Robinson by millions according to first quarter reports, Democratic critics believe.

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Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake County, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the provision was an “11th hour change” that would be considered “political laundering.”

Republican supporters disagreed, saying it just makes things even for Republicans in campaign fundraising.

Dive deeper into the details of HB 237

• Increases criminal sentence time by one class for misdemeanors and felonies if arrested while wearing a mask.
• Makes wearing a mask in public illegal except in the case of a surgical mask worn for the purpose of protecting against contagious diseases among other exceptions for holiday costumes, workers who need masks and more.
• Allows law enforcement and property owners to ask people wearing masks to remove them to identify them.
• Makes protest organizers liable for any injury that happens during a protest if they intentionally block a road or emergency vehicle.
• Increases the penalty for blocking a road or an emergency vehicle for a protest.
• Allows for federal political committees and organizations to contribute financially to North Carolina candidates.