The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature is attempting to pass reform bills that would harshly limit the power of newly elected Democratic Governor Ray Cooper, reports the Washington Post.
In a special session Tuesday, Republicans passed a bill inhibiting the governor-elect’s ability to appoint members to the UNC school system’s board of trustees without the approval of the majority-Republican Senate. This measure, among other proposed bills that could curb Cooper’s power, caused a stir among Democrats and activists. Even some Republicans, like North Carolina’s former Republican governor Jim Martin, stated this reform went “too far.”
Hundreds of people gathered in the state's capital during the special session in protest of what they describe as a “power grab.” A few were arrested in the process.
This kind of special session is not new to North Carolina. The last session passed a bill that limited the use of public restrooms for transgendered people and led to national outcry.
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