Raleigh, North Carolina: Nearly a month after Election Day, North Carolina Republicans appeared to finally accept Democrats’ narrow win in the contentious governor’s race. As it turns out, they weren’t done fighting.
In a surprise special session in the dying days of the old administration, some say, the Republican-dominated legislature has thrown the government into total disarray, introducing bills aimed at emasculating incoming Governor Roy Cooper’s administration.
Cooper, the current attorney general, has threatened to sue. And many in the state are accusing Republicans of letting sour grapes over losing governor’s mansion turn into a legislative coup that flies in face of voters.
“I believe fervently in democracy. I’m watching it be undermined ... by people who seem unwilling to consider or to listen,” said Margaret Toman, who was among hundreds of protesters rallying inside the Legislative Building, demanding that Republicans leave Cooper’s authority alone.
The protesters were so loud that Senate and House cleared the galleries, and at least 16 people were arrested. As they were led away in plastic ties, supporters chanted, “this is what democracy looks like” and “shame.”
Republicans are considering scaling back the number of political appointees Cooper can make and require the Senate’s approval for top administrators at state agencies. They also are talking about erasing the governor’s ability to shape elections boards statewide.
Republicans insist the legislation is simply adjusting the constitutional powers already granted to the General Assembly. They’ve said many of the provisions had been debated for years but always got set aside.
“There’s probably no better time than to deal with it in the present,” said Republican Representative Bert Jones.
Democrats said it was a GOP power grab occurring a week after Republican incumbent Governor Pat McCrory conceded a race he lost by just over 10,000 votes.
“It is done in a blatant political move by a party that must be afraid of the voters so they have to hold onto the power that they have,” said Democratic Representative Graig Meyer.
