Cooper vetoes bill limiting governor’s emergency powers
RALEIGH, N.C. (WWAY) — Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill that would have limited a governor’s power to act unilaterally during an emergency, such as the pandemic.
The bill would have required governors to receive specific support from other statewide elected leaders to secure a long-term declaration of emergency. The new bill would have amended the Emergency Management Act, which has allowed Gov. Cooper to take a number of executive actions without legislative approval.
“North Carolina is emerging from a global pandemic with lives saved and a strong economy because of effective statewide measures to protect public health under the Emergency Management Act,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement released with his veto. “Critical decisions about stopping deadly diseases, or responding to any other emergency, should stay with experts in public health and safety, not a committee of partisan politicians. We must be able to act quickly and thoroughly when deadly diseases, hurricanes, or any other dangers threaten people’s lives and jobs. An emergency needs decisive, quick and comprehensive action, not bureaucracy and politics.”
Some Republicans feel that the governor’s powers are too broad regardless of party.
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