In Enka, Cooper criticizes GOP elections bill, tax cut plan

ENKA – Gov. Roy Cooper says he will keep fighting a new state law to change the way elections are administered in the state and is concerned that legislative tax cut proposals won't leave enough money in the state budget to adequately fund education.

During a visit to Enka Middle School Tuesday evening to see a program that provides homework help to students and dinner to them and their families, Cooper said decreasing his ability to administer elections is part of a broader push by Republican legislators to institute changes to voting to give the GOP an advantage at the polls.

"They've time and again tried to hijack the elections process, and that's wrong," he said. "We need fair elections. We need to make it easier for people to register and vote."

For decades, whichever party the governor belongs to has held a majority of the seats on the State Board of Elections and county elections boards. Republicans in the General Assembly have pushed legislation to split membership on those boards equally between Democrats and Republicans, plus give the board responsibility for enforcing ethics laws for public officials.

A 75-44 House vote Tuesday morning to override Cooper's veto of the bill was the last step needed before it becomes law. Terms of board members appointed by former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory expire Sunday.

Judges ruled a previous version of the bill was unconstitutional because it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of state government. Cooper predicted the same thing will happen with the new bill.

Legislators "put a little lipstick on it, passed it again and now it's going to go before the court again. I believe the law is still unconstitutional," he said.

During House floor debate earlier Tuesday, bill supporter Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, said giving the two major parties an equal number of seats on elections boards will encourage bipartisanship.

"We're trying to enact good policy. I believe that there are reasonable people who can work together and accomplish things," he said.

Democrats predicted, as Rep. Cynthia Ball, D-Wake, put it, "gridlock, stalemate and inaction."

The Senate has approved a plan to cut taxes by more than $800 million, and House leaders favor a $380 million tax cut plan.

Cooper said Tuesday the state should cut taxes for the middle class "but this giveaway to corporations and millionaires is wrong."

The Senate voted down a proposal to limit the tax cuts to those making less than $200,000, which Cooper called proof "that they want to give those tax giveaways to those who really don't need it."

"We need to be giving the tax breaks to those who do (need them) and we need to be investing in education," he said. "It comes down to priorities. It's going to be hard to do that massive tax giveaway and do the investments that we need."

Cooper visited Enka Middle's Homework Diner, a program started last year by United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County in cooperation with schools. It is now in place at Enka, Erwin and Asheville middle schools.

Students come to school on Tuesday evenings, in many cases with their families, and get tutoring from volunteers and teachers and a meal. The program also helps families connect with other available community services.

United Way officials said that in addition to homework help, Homework Diner gets families more involved with their kids' education, enhances schools' role as a community center and shows students that adults care about their success.

Cooper visited as part of his efforts to highlight the state's week honoring volunteers. He grabbed a few bites of a beef burrito while talking with a student, chatted with students and families, then said it might make sense to replicate the program across the state.