NC lawmakers delay confirmation discussion after ruling

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina legislative leaders say they’ll delay the confirmation process for several of Gov. Pat McCrory’s choices to government positions because of a court ruling involving appointment powers.

Senate Rules Chairman Tom Apodaca and House counterpart David Lewis said they would take a step back on confirmations in light of Monday’s decision by a three-judge panel favoring McCrory. The judges said lawmakers wrongly crossed into executive branch powers by making their own appointments to three state commissions.

McCrory’s recent appointees include the State Bureau of Investigation director, state controller and banking commissioner. All of them are currently in their posts and will remain so. The ruling didn’t address such confirmations directly, but Lewis and Apodaca suggested the confirmations might wait until after the state Supreme Court rules in the case.

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