In North Carolina, the House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday which seeks to prohibit government entities in the state from accepting payments made in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
The bill passed its second reading unanimously, 110-0, with two absentee votes. It was first introduced on Apr. 18 and sponsored by a raft of Republican state representatives.
Vocal opposition to CBDCs has picked up in earnest ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign. Critic and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr has joined Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis’ calls, decrying the potential use of CBDCs for state-wide surveillance.
“We should be wary since CBDCs are the ultimate mechanisms for social surveillance and control,” Kennedy Jr. tweeted last month.
DeSantis has vocalized warning on a number of occasions this year, inferring that if the government takes control over digital currency, individuals might not be able to buy gasoline or firearms.
Proponents argue legislation prohibiting CBDCs could unwittingly harm innovation in digital assets, namely bitcoin.
The nonpartisan bitcoin think tank, Bitcoin Policy Institute, cautioned in March that anti-CBDC legislation may unintentionally impede the growth of the bitcoin ecosystem, unless it incorporates precise phrasing to assess BTC.
North Carolina’s anti-CBDC bill must now pass a state Senate vote before Governor Roy Cooper (a Democrat) can either veto or sign it into law.
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Source: https://blockworks.co/news/north-carolina-cbdc-bill