North Carolina’s GOP majority legislature passed six bills Tuesday, including one that prohibits the promotion of certain views in government offices. Some lawmakers compare this to the critical race theory. Another bill places new restrictions on rules protecting wetlands.

After a series of votes that had margins big enough to override the Democratic Governor, these measures became law. Roy Cooper formally vetoed the objections this month.

Five veto overrides have been completed by the House on Tuesday, following several Senate votes similar to those of the previous week. On Tuesday, a sixth veto-override attempt was approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate.

According to the state constitution, an override is successful if three-fifths or more of each chamber’s members present and voting approve the bill despite objections from the governor.

Overrides show the increased political power of Republicans, after their electoral gains in the fall and a switch by the House Democrats to the Republican party in April. This was the first time in late 2018 that they had a veto proof majority in both chambers. Cooper had previously been able block several dozen GOP bills with vetoes in the past four years because there were sufficient Democrats who supported his efforts.

A few Democrats voted in favor of several override votes on Tuesday. Republicans still needed to make sure that their party members were present to pass overrides.

The annual farm bill of the legislature, which was passed on Tuesday, contains over 30 provisions, including penalties for timber cutting, inspection periods by regulators for veterinarians’ offices, and the creation of an official “Farmers Appreciation” Day in November.

Cooper’s veto of the farm bill came on Friday. He claimed that the measure would weaken regulation of wetlands, which help to control flooding and pollution. The bill’s wording, combined with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, has been criticized by his administration and environmental organizations. They claim that about half of Florida’s wetlands will be left unprotected.

Republicans and their allies have minimized the impact that the bill’s wetlands language will have, claiming it will primarily affect isolated terrain which rarely floods. They also said the standards would be aligned with federal law.

A new law, which will take effect in December, prohibits state employee trainers from instilling in workers the idea that “one race is superior to another” or that they should feel guilty about past acts committed by those of the same race. The law also prohibits hiring managers at state agencies, community college and the University of North Carolina System from requiring applicants for jobs in policy-making to disclose their political or personal beliefs.

Cooper’s veto letter said that the bill attempted to suppress workplace conversations related to diversity and equity, which can reveal the “unconscious bias” we all bring to work and to our communities. But supporters of this bill said it encourages a variety of beliefs in public agencies.

The House and Senate both voted to override a veto on Tuesday, which now prohibits state agencies from using environmental, social, and governance standards to screen investments, award contracts, or hire and terminate employees.

The bill states that the state treasurer can only consider factors which are expected to have an impact on the financial return or risk of a pension fund investment.

At least two states have already passed laws prohibiting such criteria. Republicans across the country have raised concerns about how big businesses are focusing so much on environmental sustainability and workplace diversification that they harm shareholders and pension funds.

Cooper stated in his late-week veto that the measure would limit the ability of the treasurer to make investments that are in best interest of the state pension fund.

Cooper’s vetoes were partially overridden by other bills that would have raised interest rates and late charges on certain consumer finance loans, as well as consumer credit sales. For example, when someone purchases a car in installments and/or with finance charges. Cooper stated that the increased costs would be a burden to residents already facing rising living costs.

A bill that was vetoed but is now overridden allows the Local Government Commission of the state to withhold a portion from the sales tax revenue collected by the state for counties and cities who fail to conduct annual audits. Bill supporters claimed that the measure would promote government accountability. Cooper said the bill was well-intentioned, but it would hurt small communities in the state.