Raleigh – The North Carolina House of Representatives voted today to override Governor Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 382, forcing the bill into law.
SB 382 strips powers and authorities granted to the governor and hands them to the legislature and other partisan-controlled government bodies. The bill also prevents the attorney general from taking stances in court that don't align with the opinions of state legislative leaders, limiting the ability of the people’s representative to push back against unconstitutional legislation.
“This bill is an anti-democratic power grab, plain and simple,” said Liz Barber, director of policy and advocacy for the ACLU of North Carolina. “Naming it a hurricane relief bill is an insult to the thousands of people in western North Carolina who are struggling to make ends meet in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Politicians who were unhappy with the results of the election stripped powers from fairly elected offices through political strong-arming. The decision to override the governor’s veto dilutes the voices of North Carolina voters and is an insult to our democratic system of checks and balances.”
The law’s changes to the governor and attorney general’s authority will apply to the incoming administration.
