TechFlow reports that the North Carolina General Assembly has passed legislation banning the state's participation in the Federal Reserve's central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programs. The Senate voted 27 to 17 to override Governor Cooper's veto, passing House Bill 690. The bill prohibits the use of CBDC for payments to state government and bars state agencies from participating in any CBDC testing.
Previously, Governor Cooper called the bill "premature and overreaching." Sarah Sprecker, Head of Industry Affairs at the Blockchain Association, stated that Cooper missed an opportunity to send a clear message to the Federal Reserve system opposing CBDC on behalf of North Carolina.
Notably, in May this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act," aimed at preventing the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC directly to individuals. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has previously stated that the Fed will not launch a CBDC without congressional approval.
