Raleigh, NC: Today, N.C. House Elections and Ethics Law Committee Chairman Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Senate Elections Committee Chairman Ralph Hise released a statement responding to the latest lawsuit filed by Gov. Roy Cooper to remove two constitutional amendment proposals from the ballot this fall, in his ongoing attempt to deprive North Carolinians of their right to vote on these amendments.
“This General Assembly, complied, in exacting detail, with a court opinion with which it disagreed. Governor Cooper wants to throw out not only the new actions of the legislature, but the standards and work of the original three-judge panel,” said Lewis and Hise.
“Beyond all the name-calling and drama, Governor Cooper can’t point to a single legitimate reason why the new amendments don’t meet that court’s standard, nor does he even really care about that. By making up more reasons to sue – and by going around the three-judge panel and straight to the Supreme Court, which is extraordinarily irregular – Governor Cooper’s true motives are laid bare: He doesn’t want the people of North Carolina to vote on these issues, ever. ”
“His behavior evades every norm of judicial procedure to enlist the only arm of the courts he thinks might give him his desired political result–to stop citizens from voting on legitimate governance questions. Cooper’s actions are despotic and despicable, shred deference to judicial rules, and will result in chaos and confusion.”