*This is reported by WRAL

Criticizing the state legislature for failing to pass a new state budget because lawmakers are too focused on culture war political fights, Gov. Josh Stein on Thursday vetoed four bills targeting diversity and gender issues.

Senate Bill 558, Senate Bill 227, House Bill 171 all deal with efforts to crack down on pro-diversity efforts in public schools and state government agencies. Supporters have cited Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to attack diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal government and say North Carolina similarly needs to eliminate DEI.

The fourth bill, House Bill 805, started as an effort to help people take down private photos or videos of themselves from the internet and passed the state House unanimously. But the state Senate then turned the bill into a grab-bag of social conservative issues about transgender people and other issues related to gender and LGBTQ rights, and the House also agreed to pass that new version of the bill which Stein has now vetoed in addition to the DEI bills.

Meanwhile, when the state’s new fiscal year began this week, state lawmakers were on vacation without having passed a new budget. They’ve made no progress on negotiations for a spending plan and, just before the legislature adjourned, House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters the GOP lawmakers had such strong disagreements on how to fund state government that it’s possible no budget deal gets passed at all until sometime next year.

Stein said that his vetoes highlight his belief that the Republican-led legislature has its priorities all wrong.

“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,” Stein wrote. “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.”

State House Majority Leader Rep. Brendan Jones, R-Columbus, has been a key proponent of the anti-DEI measures and criticized Stein’s veto Thursday.

“I find it odd that Gov. Stein is against merit based hiring in state government,” Jones said. “I look forward to overriding this veto.”

The vetoes come a day after Stein also vetoed three other bills including a Duke Energy-backed bill to let the utility giant avoid climate goals and change the way it charges North Carolinians.