North Carolina governor vetoes masks bill largely due to provision about campaign finance

By MAKIYA SEMINERA
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a North Carolina masking bill that previously removed a pandemic-era exemption that allowed people to mask in public for health reasons. That provision was later changed after pushback to include language that protects masking for health purposes. But Cooper said his veto of the bill Friday was mostly for a different reason. Cooper and Democrats objected to a campaign finance provision tacked onto the end of the bill that could allow wealthy donors to give money to federal political committees who can then donate to state parties.