Judge Delays N.C. Elections Board Law After Lawsuit Filed By Gov.-Elect Cooper
Source: Talking Points Memo
By TIERNEY SNEED Published DECEMBER 30, 2016, 3:36 PM EDT
A judge blocked a recently-passed North Carolina law that remade its elections board system from taking effect while a lawsuit filed Friday by the Governor-elect Roy Cooper (D-NC) challenging the law proceeds, the News and Observer reported.
After a one-hearing Friday on Cooper's emergency request to pause the law's implementation, Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens issued an order delaying the lawwhich was set to be implemented on Sundayfrom taking effect at least until next Thursday, when another hearing on the lawsuit has been scheduled, according to the News and Observer.
The law, passed by the legislature's Republicans in a controversial special session after Cooper's victory over Republican Gov. Pat McCrory (NC), would dismantle the North Carolina's State Board of Elections and merge it with the state's ethics board. Previously, the state's governors were able to appoint three of the elections board's five members from his or her own party, with members of the minority party taking the other two spots. Under the new regime, the board would be expanded from five to eight members with a bipartisan split four-to-four. In even yearswhich are typically election yearsthe board would be chaired by a Republican, while Democrats would hold the chairmanship in the odd years.
It was just one of a number of laws passed by Republicans in the special session that stripped the incoming governor of his powers.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/judge-elections-board-law-north-carolina
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)now we got to work to start getting out of office those that voted for that bull shit
Judi Lynn
(160,526 posts)Judge blocks North Carolina law limiting power of Democratic governor
Governor-elect Roy Cooper sued over violation of separation of powers after Republican-led legislature moved to end governors control of election boards
Associated Press in Charlotte, North Carolina
Friday 30 December 2016 14.09 EST
A North Carolina judge has temporarily blocked a Republican-backed law that strips the incoming Democratic governor of his control over election boards just before he takes office.
Wake County superior court judge Don Stephens ruled on Friday that the risk to free and fair elections justified stopping the law from taking effect this weekend until it could be reviewed more closely. Stephens plans to review the law on Thursday.
Governor-elect Roy Cooper sued on Friday to block the law, passed two weeks ago, which would end the control governors exert over statewide and county election boards.
Coopers lawsuit said the Republican-led state general assemblys action was unconstitutional because it violated separation of powers by giving legislators too much control over how election laws are administered.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/30/roy-cooper-north-carolina-governor-elect-lawsuit-powers