North Carolina GOP enacts a law eroding Democratic governor’s powers : NPR

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday enacted legislation that would override the governor’s veto and curtail the powers given to his successor and other statewide Democratic winners in the Nov. 5 election. .

The Republican-controlled House overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto by a vote of 72-46, a week after the Republican-controlled Senate passed a similar resolution.

As with the Senate vote, opponents of the transition of power bill sat in the stands and disrupted proceedings on the floor. More than 150 people gathered on the third floor, outgrowing the seats in the house gallery. They shouted “shame” until the votes were invalidated, and they continued to scream as they were kicked out.

Police Chief Martin Block said after warning the disruptors that they would remain quiet and leave the building or face arrest, General Assembly police arrested one woman who refused to leave, and she was charged with trespassing. He added that he will be charged with resisting arrest and trespassing. rule.

Many provisions in the 132-page law are aimed at reducing the powers given to Gov.-elect Josh Stein, Attorney General-elect Jeff Jackson, the Democratic lieutenant governor-elect and the schools superintendent. They will all be sworn in early next month. One of the most important changes would shift the authority to appoint members of the state election board from the governor to the state auditor, who next year will be a Republican.

For decades, the governor has elected five members, and the governor’s party usually wins three seats. The enacted law will transfer that authority to the state Board of Supervisors starting in the spring. That means Republicans will likely hold a majority on the state commission and county election boards.

The bill also weakens the governor’s authority to fill vacancies on state appellate courts and the Supreme Court and prevents the attorney general from taking legal positions contrary to the General Assembly in cases challenging the validity of laws. The law requires several post-election deadlines after Republicans complained that counties were taking too long to count provisional and absentee ballots, especially given the extremely close Supreme Court race. will be brought forward.

The veto override will take place on the last day of the lame duck General Assembly, and Republicans hold exactly the seats needed to override the veto without help from Democrats.

After Democrats gain one more House seat in the general election, this situation won’t last long unless there is a successful campaign to overturn the outcome of the campaign.

Despite their eventual success in overturning it, House Republicans had some difficulty maintaining unity. Some Republican lawmakers in western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helen caused historic flooding, initially voted against the bill last month. However, all three senators, Mike Clampitt, Carl Gillespie, and Mark Press, ultimately voted to override the veto.

Some of the criticism leveled at the bill has focused on the bill’s accompanying $252 million Helen Recovery Fund, most of which cannot be spent until the General Assembly acts again.

In his veto message, Cooper criticized the bill as a sham in which Republicans used Helen and “disaster relief” in the bill’s title to hide an unconstitutional political power grab, calling the bill a sham and calling it a sham in which Republicans used Helen and “disaster relief” in the bill’s title to hide an unconstitutional political power grab. Democrats and Rep. Stein echoed that message.

“It’s despicable that Republicans in the General Assembly are using the people’s incredible need for aid to cover up their own political narrow-mindedness,” Stein said in a statement after Wednesday’s vote.

Other lawmakers opposed to the bill said at a press conference Wednesday that Republican lawmakers are not serving the people of western North Carolina and are instead undermining democracy.

“Western North Carolina is not a toy to be played with. It is not an opportunity to be exploited. It is not a place to be so violently disrespected,” said Sam, Transylvania County staff member for the advocacy group Just Economics of the Western North. Stites said. Carolina.

Republicans have noted that they have already allocated more than $900 million for Helen relief since October, and plan to commit even more in the next Congress. Rep. Destin Hall, a Caldwell County Republican who is expected to become House speaker next year, further defended the bill’s transfer of executive power as Congress’ constitutional right.

“This organization is committed to helping the people of this state with storm relief,” Hall said. “So what happened, in my opinion, is that a political football was made out of this bill.”

The new law is likely to soon become mired in litigation, just as it did eight years ago, when Republicans passed a bill weakening Mr. Cooper’s powers just before he took office.

“Obviously we’re going to go to court,” outgoing House Speaker and incoming Rep. Tim Moore told reporters after the vote. That’s exactly right.

The House also secured a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 statewide ballot that would require all North Carolina voters to show a photo ID before voting. The constitution currently only requires in-person voting. The ID exception is currently allowed and would be continued in the amendment, and a law separate from the state constitution already requires voters to submit a copy of their photo ID when voting by mail. It is instructed to do so.