Election 2016

Judge Blocks North Carolina Law Limiting Next Governor’s Power

Written by SK Ashby

A local state judge has temporary blocked the legislation passed by Republicans in North Carolina that would limit the power of newly elected Governor Roy Cooper.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Don Stephens ruled on Friday that the law will remain blocked while it's reviewed by the court.

The law, enacted by the state's Republican-dominated legislature during a special session this month, calls for the governor and legislature to appoint four members each to a new board evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Previously, governors appointed a majority of members.

The measure also replaces three-member county elections boards, where the sitting governor's party had the majority, with four-member boards made up of two Republicans and two Democrats each.

Cooper, the former state attorney general, argues that the law passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature during a special session just before Christmas is unconstitutional.

It remains to be seen how the court will ultimately rule, but there's a fairly good chance the former state attorney general knows the law better than the yahoos in the state legislature. State Republicans have not fared well in local court battles in recent months.

This case could have implications for the rest of the nation as Republicans in other states will undoubtedly attempt similar maneuvers to weaken Democratic governors in the future.

Governor Roy Cooper's first term began yesterday.