RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on the Republican-controlled legislature in North Carolina meeting to consider another veto issued by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper (all times local):
7:30 p.m.
North Carolina’s Republican legislature is close to overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of another elections bill having to do with the judicial branch.
The Senate voted 26-15 on Monday night for legislation that would cancel primary elections for judicial seats next year only and make permanent lower thresholds for unaffiliated and third-party candidates.
Now the full House could vote as early as Tuesday for the bill to become law despite Cooper’s objections that it takes away the right of people to vote for the judges of their choice.
Republicans say the measure will reduce confusion should they go ahead early next year and approve separately new election districts for trial court judges. The bill also delays candidate filing for judicial candidates from February to June.
The legislature this year already overrode Cooper’s veto on legislation that made trial court races officially partisan elections again.
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4 p.m.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Pat McCrory last year but hasn’t had many political victories since because there are still veto-proof GOP majorities in the Legislature.
Ten of the 13 vetoes Cooper has issued since taking office in January have been overridden or circumvented. The Legislature scheduled sessions late Monday to consider whether to issue another veto override of a bill that would cancel 2018 primary elections for court seats and delay candidate filing for months.
Cooper says the bill is part of a Republican scheme to soon change the way all judges are elected. GOP leaders are considering new judicial election districts and whether to alter judicial selection in the long term.
Cooper has earned some victories, including a partial repeal of the state’s “bathroom bill.”
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