Five former NC governors campaigning against constitutional amendments
All five of North Carolina's living former governors plan a press conference Monday against amendments shifting power from the executive branch to the legislature.
Posted — UpdatedFormer Gov. Jim Martin, the only North Carolina Republican to serve two terms in the office, is organizing the event. The group will gather for a press conference in the old House chambers at the State Capitol Building, then huddle for a private strategy session, Martin said Friday.
Martin said this may be the first time all five former governors have appeared together. All five were already on record, though, against the two amendments.
One amendment would shift much of the power to fill judicial vacancies from the governor, who has wide latitude now to pick judges. Instead, if voters approve the proposed amendment, the legislature would pick two finalists for each open seat on the bench, and the governor would have to pick one of those two.
The other amendment sets up a new bipartisan state board of elections appointed by the General Assembly, and it also asserts that the legislature has the power to appoint members to hundreds of boards and commissions currently handled by the executive branch.
"That's a very serious issue, and we want to be heard on it," Martin said of the potential power shifts.
A spokesman for House Speaker Tim Moore said voters deserve a chance to vote on a new way to fill judicial vacancies, and GOP leaders have promised a more transparent process than the behind-closed-doors way governors have filled these jobs. A commission would be set up under the proposal to vet candidates, though decisions would be left up to the legislature.
“These governors enjoyed unfettered discretion to make judicial vacancy appointments for decades, so it’s no surprise they oppose returning this power to the people with a democratic process," Moore spokesman Joseph Kyzer said in an email.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger's new spokesman, Pat Ryan, went after some of the former governors in his statement.
“Given the ethics scandals coming from some of these administrations, it’s not shocking they’re rallying against a bipartisan ethics board," Ryan said in an email. "We trust the voters to decide how best to protect the integrity of the political process.”
The amendments in question do significantly more than replace the current bipartisan ethics board with a new one.
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