Civitas Institute President Donald Bryson released the following statement on Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 824 – Implementation of Voter ID Const. Amendment.
“With his veto of Senate Bill 824, Gov. Cooper failed to uphold his oath of office, which is to ‘support, maintain and defend’ the Constitution of North Carolina. The government of North Carolina is now constitutionally obligated to have a voter identification law, whether the governor likes it or not. His reasoning for his veto shows that he wants to relitigate the issue of voter ID overall, but does not address the specifics of the legislation. In short, he is failing to uphold the will of the citizens of North Carolina.”
“The governor of our state, who is also a former state attorney general, spends a good deal of time worrying about what happens in the courtroom, should have a better appreciation for the state constitution, and the fact that the people of North Carolina ordain it. The issue of voter ID is no longer his to challenge, which is what he did with his veto and statement. The indication is that the governor believes he knows better than the people of North Carolina what they want.”
