North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, vetoed multiple bills targeting transgender policies and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The Republican-led General Assembly passed Senate Bill 227, Senate Bill 558, and House Bill 171 to ban DEI training and hiring practices, prohibit local and state government agencies from maintaining DEI programs, and eliminate other “discriminatory practices.” The Democrat governor called the DEI-related bills “mean-spirited” that would “marginalize vulnerable people.” Meanwhile, Stein vetoed a separate bill that would only recognize two genders. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has VETOED a bill to recognize that only 2 genders exist. pic.twitter.com/0sn58nxwVG — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 5, 2025 The Hill explained: The fourth bill, House Bill 805, included a provision to prevent state-funded gender affirming surgeries or hormone therapy for prisoners. It also includes language recognizing only two genders and would require the state to keep a transgender person’s original birth certificate attached to any updated one. The effort follows similar moves in conservative states and at the federal level. President Trump, upon his return to office, issued several executive orders that targeted federal DEI programs and diversity initiatives in public education as well as sweeping actions against transgender athletes and service members — though his moves have faced legal action. The bills now head back to the North Carolina General Assembly, where Republicans need support from 60 percent of both chambers to override Stein’s veto. The state House is one seat short of a veto-proof majority, and no Democrats voted for the anti-DEI bills, The Associated Press reported. State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) vowed to continue fighting for the legislation in a post online, suggesting the governor “chose to bow down to a radical ideology that harms women.” “Gov. Stein vetoed this bill and sided with radical activists over the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians. We will keep fighting,” North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall commented. HB 805 would put into law simple concepts like: affirming parental rights prohibiting taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures for prisoners defining male and female protecting women and children Gov. Stein vetoed this bill and sided with radical activists over… — Speaker Destin Hall (@ncspeakerhall) July 3, 2025 “At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us. These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education. Therefore, I am vetoing them. I stand ready to work with the legislature when it gets serious about protecting people and addressing North Carolinians’ pressing concerns,” Stein said in a statement regarding the vetoed bills. Here’s a full list of the legislation I took action on today: https://t.co/A5AbncpbdJ — Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) July 3, 2025 More from Fox News: The measures cutting or eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in state and local governments, K-12 public schools and the university system have been a major priority for GOP lawmakers. They argue the programs targeted have overemphasized identity to the detriment of merit and societal unity. The transgender bill began as a bipartisan measure to curb sexual exploitation by enforcing age verification and consent rules for pornography websites. But lawmakers later added controversial provisions, including a ban on state-funded gender-affirming procedures for prisoners. It also affirms the recognition of two sexes and requires the state to officially attach a transgender person’s new birth certificate to their old one if they change their sex assigned at birth. Stein said in a veto message that he strongly supported the anti-sexual exploitation provisions in the bill, but the final measure went too far. “My faith teaches me that we are all children of God no matter our differences and that it is wrong to target vulnerable people, as this bill does,” he added. One Democrat backed the fourth bill before Stein vetoed it. All four bills now return to the General Assembly, which could reconvene later this month to attempt veto overrides. Republicans are one vote short of a veto-proof supermajority in the House.