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North Carolina gov.-elect sues over law stripping his powers

Posted at 1:30 PM, Dec 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-30 13:30:03-05

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s incoming Democratic governor has sued over a new law passed by Republican legislators to limit his powers as he prepares to take office.

Gov.-elect Roy Cooper filed the lawsuit Friday over the law that ends the control governors exert over statewide and county election boards.

Cooper’s lawsuit asks a Wake County judge to block the law from taking effect Sunday, when he’ll be sworn into office.

The lawsuit says the Republican-led legislature’s radical changes two weeks ago to the administration of election laws are unconstitutional because they violate separation of powers.

The changes convert the state elections board from one that governors have controlled into a bipartisan body with equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats. County election boards would have two members from each party, rather than the current three members with a majority from the governor’s party.