Making good on his promise, the democratically-elected incoming Governor Roy Cooper has lodged a lawsuit against the North Carolina state legislature for what he claims is an unconstitutional neutering of his power.
Cooper had threatened to sue the legislature if they passed the law, but it did not deter them as they quickly passed and signed the law which significantly limits the powers of the incoming governor.
Now, Cooper has asked that the Wake County judge block the implementation of the law under the guise of constitutionality.
Among the limitations, the new law cuts the number of staffers Cooper can hire and fire dramatically, as well as giving other powers to the Republican deputy governor and requiring a state senate confirmation for most decisions Cooper may make.
The law also continues to make it more difficult for North Carolina residents to vote, a continuing trend by the Republican majority who were called out just this year for trying to specifically suppress the African American vote.
Said Cooper:
“This complex new law passed in just two days by the Republican legislature is unconstitutional and anything but bipartisan. A tie on a partisan vote would accomplish what many Republicans want: making it harder for North Carolinians to vote.”
The law was a clear case of sore losers, and as Cooper alleges, a clear abuse of the constitutional mandate for a separation of powers among government branches.
If this seems unclear, one simply has to wonder: would Governor Pat McCrory have signed this bill if he had won re-election? Anyone who believes he would have should have their head checked.
It’s no wonder that the state of North Carolina is currently being compared to guerrilla governments from less developed nations. If one is looking for a model of what the worst of the Republican party has to give, one need only to look at this sad state.
