Bryan Cohn

Voted no on House Bill 694, a water bill. It folded the Haw, Deep and Contentnea Creek basins into the Cape Fear and Neuse basins. Moving water between them no longer needs a state permit, in any amount, and every local government in the Neuse basin may use an older formula that counts less of a discharge. A no vote was against making it law. The House agreed 66-42 to the Senate version, and the governor signed it.

June 26, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on Senate Bill 472, a coastal bill. If the state misses a deadline to review a water quality permit, it loses its say and the project may go ahead without one. The state may not add protections beyond the least needed to meet water standards, and man-made ditches and canals lost coastal protection. A no vote was against making it law. The House voted 66-45 and the Senate agreed 30-15. The governor signed it.

June 24, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 318, an immigration bill. Jails must check the status of anyone charged with a felony, some serious misdemeanors, or drunk driving. If federal agents want the person, the jail must hold them up to 48 more hours after they would have gone free. Judges must run the same check when they set bail. A no vote would have let the governor's veto stand. The House voted 72-48 to override, the Senate did the same that day, and the bill became law.

July 29, 2025Supports Immigration

Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 690. It would have cut off state-funded benefits, public housing help, and unemployment pay for people in the country without legal permission. Agencies would have had to check status first. Food aid was left out. Colleges would have had to check status when deciding in-state tuition and aid. Each duty applied only as far as federal law allows. A no vote was against it. The House voted 68-43. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

May 7, 2025Supports Immigration

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 261. It would have raised the punishment for a crime committed with other people to help gang activity. That part covered any defendant. A smaller part raised the punishment for someone with an earlier federal conviction for returning to the country illegally after being removed. Prosecutors would have had to prove these facts to a jury. A yes vote helped the bill move ahead. The House voted 84-29. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

April 30, 2025Opposes Immigration

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Publicly fought House Bill 74. It moved a $10 million state appropriation away from expanding Oxford's Kerr Lake Regional Water System. The money went instead to projects in Republican-held districts. Called the clawback "retribution for winning House District 32". Noted the provision was inserted one day before the floor vote.

May 7, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: wunc.org · researched July 3, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 307, known as Iryna's Law. Judges may no longer release a person before trial on a written promise to appear, and for 18 serious crimes the law starts from the position that no release is safe. It also restarted executions, with a backup method if lethal injection cannot be used, and it barred the state from bringing back a task force on racial equity in criminal justice. A yes vote helped make the bill law. The House agreed 81-31 to the Senate version it had passed 28-8, and the governor signed it.

September 23, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 261. It would have raised the punishment for a crime committed with other people to help gang activity. That part covered any defendant. A smaller part raised the punishment for someone with an earlier federal conviction for returning to the country illegally after being removed. Prosecutors would have had to prove these facts to a jury. A yes vote helped the bill move ahead. The House voted 84-29. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

April 30, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Was primary sponsor of House Bill 68 in the 2025-26 session, restoring county down-zoning power in Granville and Vance counties. Also primary-sponsored bills on property-tax appeal transparency, clearing eviction records, rental air-conditioning standards, a PFAS ban, and IVF protections. Most stalled in committee in the Republican-controlled House.

February 10, 2025Supports Housing Affordability

Source: ncleg.gov · researched July 3, 2026

As an Oxford city commissioner from 2021 to 2024, worked on affordable housing and infrastructure investment. Also worked on local business development and expanded public green spaces. Was later elected to the legislature.

October 14, 2024Supports Housing Affordability

Source: ncvoices.com · researched July 3, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 859. It would have barred cities and counties from running a guaranteed income program, which pays people regular cash they can spend on anything. Programs that require the person to work, look for work, or attend training were not covered. The legislature could still allow a program by passing a law. A no vote was against it. The House voted 69-40. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

May 7, 2025Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 781. It would have barred a city or county from letting people camp or sleep overnight on public land. A local board could set aside one site for up to a year, but only if the state certified that it met rules for safety, sanitation and health services. Any resident or business owner could sue the local government to enforce the ban. A yes vote helped the bill move ahead. The House voted 69-42. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

May 7, 2025Opposes Social Programs and Welfare

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 38. It would have barred credit card networks from using a special code that marks a store as a gun seller, and from keeping lists of North Carolina gun owners. Banks and credit unions were not covered. The attorney general could fine a network up to $5,000 for each violation, and people could sue for $10,000 for each one. A yes vote helped the bill move ahead. The House voted 77-38. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

April 29, 2025Opposes Gun Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on Senate Bill 378. It would have ordered the state health department to drop Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider and end its Medicaid contracts. The department would have had to line up other providers for the same services. Despite the bill's name, that was the whole of what the House voted on. A no vote was against it. The House voted 61-47. The Senate refused to take up the bill the next day, so it is not law.

October 22, 2025Supports Women's Reproductive Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on Senate Bill 249. It redrew two of North Carolina's 14 seats in the U.S. House, District 1 and District 3, both in the east. The other 12 did not change. The legislature's own report on the map shows District 1 going from a close seat to one that voted about 55 percent Republican for president in 2024. A no vote was against making it law. The House voted 66-48 and the Senate 26-20, and congressional maps are not sent to the governor, so it became law that day.

October 22, 2025Supports Election Integrity

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 38. It would have barred credit card networks from using a special code that marks a store as a gun seller, and from keeping lists of North Carolina gun owners. Banks and credit unions were not covered. The attorney general could fine a network up to $5,000 for each violation, and people could sue for $10,000 for each one. A yes vote helped the bill move ahead. The House voted 77-38. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

April 29, 2025Supports Data Privacy

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Led public opposition to Section V of Senate Bill 214. That section would have let Franklin County take land in Vance, Halifax, and Warren counties by eminent domain. It arose from the Kerr Lake Regional Water System dispute. Called it "a direct hit to local control". The House Speaker then pulled the bill from consideration.

April 24, 2026Supports Civil Rights

Source: wptf.com · researched July 3, 2026

Voted yes on House Bill 307, known as Iryna's Law. Judges may no longer release a person before trial on a written promise to appear, and for 18 serious crimes the law starts from the position that no release is safe. It also restarted executions, with a backup method if lethal injection cannot be used, and it barred the state from bringing back a task force on racial equity in criminal justice. A yes vote helped make the bill law. The House agreed 81-31 to the Senate version it had passed 28-8, and the governor signed it.

September 23, 2025Opposes Civil Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 519. It would have cut back the care a minor can agree to alone. That list now covers pregnancy, some diseases, drug or alcohol treatment, and mental health care. The bill would have kept only pregnancy care, with a narrow exception for minors 16 and older. It also would have let parents see their child's medical records. There were four exceptions, such as when a parent is under investigation for a crime against the child. A no vote was against it. The House voted 68-41. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

May 6, 2025Supports Civil Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 606. It would have given people more time to sue over care that helped them change gender, with a deadline of 10 years after they turn 18. Claims that were already too old to file would have been revived. It also would have barred state money from paying for gender transition care for people in state prisons. An amendment kept state money available to treat urgent problems caused by earlier care. A no vote was against it. The House voted 69-41. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

May 6, 2025Supports Civil Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 636. It would have required every public school system to set up a committee of five parents and five staff to review school library materials. That includes items kept in classrooms for students to read on their own. Material showing sexual activity, or that is very vulgar, could not be called age appropriate. Any county resident could object to an item, and could sue the school system for $5,000 for each violation. A no vote was against it. The House voted 63-46. The Senate has not voted on it, so it is not law.

April 16, 2025Supports Civil Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Publicly fought House Bill 74's redirection of a $10 million state appropriation away from Oxford's Kerr Lake Regional Water System expansion to projects in Republican-held districts, calling the clawback "retribution for winning House District 32" and noting the provision was inserted one day before the floor vote.

May 7, 2025Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: wunc.org · researched July 3, 2026

Publicly fought House Bill 74. It moved a $10 million state appropriation away from expanding Oxford's Kerr Lake Regional Water System. The money went instead to projects in Republican-held districts. Called the clawback "retribution for winning House District 32". Noted the provision was inserted one day before the floor vote.

May 7, 2025Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: wunc.org · researched July 3, 2026

As an Oxford city commissioner from 2021 to 2024, worked on affordable housing and infrastructure investment. Also worked on local business development and expanded public green spaces. Was later elected to the legislature.

October 14, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: ncvoices.com · researched July 3, 2026

As an Oxford city commissioner from 2021 to 2024, worked on affordable housing and infrastructure investment. Also worked on local business development and expanded public green spaces. Was later elected to the legislature.

October 14, 2024

Source: ncvoices.com · researched July 3, 2026

Voted no on Senate Bill 266, an energy bill. It erased the rule that big power companies must cut carbon dioxide 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The 2050 goal of no net emissions stays. The law also lets a power company raise rates to pay for a plant that is still being built. A no vote would have let the governor's veto stand. The House voted 74-46 to override, the Senate did the same that day, and the bill became law.

July 29, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 805. It sets one fixed meaning of sex, man and woman for every state and local rule, and it bars state money from paying for gender transition surgery, puberty blockers, or cross-sex hormones for minors or for state prisoners. The same law makes porn sites check the age and written consent of everyone in an image, and take images down within 72 hours when asked. It also changed school rules on shared sleeping quarters and library books. A no vote would have let the governor's veto stand. The House voted 72-48 to override, the Senate did the same that day, and the bill became law.

July 29, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 193, a gun bill. It lets a private school employee or volunteer carry a gun at school only with the school's written permission, a concealed handgun permit, and eight extra hours of gun safety training each year. It also lets permit holders carry a hidden handgun in a church that shares land with a school. It also raised the penalties for attacking or threatening a public official. A no vote would have let the governor's veto stand. The House voted 72-48 to override, the Senate did the same that day, and the bill became law.

July 29, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 768. Some apartment buildings, hotels and motels no longer need the system that lets firefighters' radios work inside, and owners already excused may switch off one they installed. It also put state water pollution reviews on a clock, where missing the deadline means the state loses its say and the project may go ahead. A no vote was against making it law. The House agreed 67-44 to the Senate version passed 30-17, and the governor signed it.

June 24, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on House Bill 568, a labor law bill. State safety inspectors can no longer be made to testify in most private lawsuits, though their written reports may now be used as evidence. Employers with fewer than five workers no longer post the notice of workplace rights, and larger ones post it in one place instead of every room. A no vote was against making it law. The House agreed 72-42 to the Senate version passed 26-17, and the governor signed it.

June 17, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Voted no on Senate Bill 50, called the Freedom to Carry Act. It would have let any citizen 18 or older carry a hidden handgun without a permit, while keeping the current bans on felons and some others. The bill also raised the death benefit paid when a police officer or firefighter is killed on the job. It added new felonies for a felon who carries or fires a gun during another crime. A no vote was against it. The House voted 59-48 and the governor vetoed the bill. The Senate voted to override but the House never did, so it is not law.

June 11, 2025

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026