Misleading Proposed Amendments Lead to Lawsuits

CHARLOTTE, NC – On August 7, lawyers representing Governor Roy Cooper, the state NAACP, and Clean Air North Carolina have asked in a pair of lawsuits to block four of the six proposed amendments on the November ballot that are intentionally misleading. The case argued that the constitutional amendments would impact voter rights, restructure the government, and reduce the separation of state powers.

The Cooper Administration challenged two of the six proposed amendments: one that would shift the power to fill judicial vacancies from the Governor to the legislature and another that takes away the Governor’s power to appoint people to executive office and determine their roles. The state NAACP and Clean Air North Carolina supported Governor Cooper in targeting those amendments and filed a lawsuit for two others: one that would require photo identification to vote in person and another that would lower the maximum income tax rate from 10 to 7 percent.

After a three-hour hearing, Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway sent the case to a three-judge panel. Judges Forrest Donald Bridges of Cleveland County, Thomas Lock of Johnston County and Jeffrey Carpenter of Union County were appointed to handle the case. The hearing will take place on August 15, 2018, at 9:30 AM. It will be open to the public in courtroom 10B at the Wake County Courthouse.

“In the upcoming election, our goal should be to make voting as transparent as possible instead of trying to deceive voters. It is our job to ensure that fairness is present throughout the democratic process. The Governor should have the authority to appoint judicial nominees and others to executive offices. We must have a higher level of respect for the judicial system and voters that chose Governor Roy Cooper to lead our state,” said Senator Joyce Waddell.