North Carolina’s Republican lawmakers just passed a major new bill that takes away some key powers from the state’s incoming Democratic governor and attorney general. This bill comes at a time when the GOP is about to lose its veto-proof majority in the state Legislature, most likely next year.
One of the biggest changes in the bill is who gets to appoint members to the State Board of Elections, which runs the voting process in North Carolina. Right now, the governor has that power, but under this new law, it will go to the state auditor, a position that will soon be held by Republican Dave Boliek. This is a big shift, especially since the governor’s office will remain in Democratic hands after Josh Stein won the race for attorney general. Republicans have long wanted control of the State Board of Elections, but past efforts have been blocked by the courts.
The bill also shortens the time voters have to fix mistakes on their ballots and requires counties to count votes faster.
But that’s not all—this 131-page bill also includes hurricane relief funding and pushes forward other Republican priorities. It was introduced quickly, and lawmakers passed it in just two days, though three Republicans did vote against it in the House. After the Senate passed it, the bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. Cooper has criticized it as a “power grab” by the GOP.
Karen Brinson Bell, who runs the State Board of Elections, said the bill makes major changes without input from the board’s staff and could make it harder for counties to count every eligible vote, especially during high-turnout elections.
Senate Republican Phil Berger defended the bill, saying it’s just about making the elections process more balanced. He argued that for years, the Board of Elections has been controlled by Democrats, and they’ve pushed back against any attempts to bring in more balance.
The current board is made up of three Democrats and two Republicans.
The new bill would also prevent the attorney general from going against the Legislature’s laws in court, something that outgoing Attorney General Josh Stein did when he refused to defend a new abortion law passed by Republicans. Additionally, the bill takes away some of the governor’s power when it comes to filling judicial vacancies and creating new court positions.
With the GOP set to lose their supermajority in the Legislature (pending a recount in one state House race), they won’t be able to override any future vetoes without support from Democrats.
Josh Stein, who will be the new governor, criticized the Republicans for focusing on “power grabs” instead of addressing the needs of people and communities in the state.
