North Carolina Republicans Override Veto to Pass Controversial Power-Shifting Bill

The legislation, framed as hurricane relief, strips authority from incoming Democratic officials and restructures election oversight.

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 382, which reallocates power from Democratic executive officials to Republican-controlled entities.
The bill, introduced as hurricane relief, dedicates only 13 of its 131 pages to disaster recovery, with most provisions focused on shifting political control.
Key changes include transferring the authority to appoint members of the State Board of Elections from the governor to the Republican state auditor, enabling GOP control over election administration.
The legislation also limits the Democratic attorney general’s ability to oppose laws passed by the Republican legislature, targeting policies on environmental and social issues.
Gov. Cooper and Gov.-elect Josh Stein have filed lawsuits challenging the bill, citing constitutional violations, including the separation of powers and voter disenfranchisement.