NC Legislative Races: Sharp Divisions Over Abortion Economy
Republican leaders are prepared to consider additional abortion restrictions next year but say there’s no consensus yet on details. That uncertainty and the slight electoral adjustment Republicans need — three more House seats and two in the Senate to regain veto-proof majorities — feed into Democratic campaign narratives.
“In North Carolina, women still have reproductive freedom,” Cooper said at a recent event with Democratic female legislative candidates. “And as governor, I aim to keep it that way. But Senate leader Phil Berger said a supermajority actually protects the state from Cooper’s bad decisions.
Democrats and their allies led by Cooper are bidding to prevent Republicans next month from holding veto-proof majorities for the first time since late 2018. Cooper was often powerless then to block laws except through litigation.Republican leaders are prepared to consider additional abortion restrictions next year but say there’s no consensus yet on details . That uncertainty and the slight electoral adjustment Republicans need — three more House seats and two in the Senate to regain veto-proof majorities — feed into Democratic campaign narratives .“In North Carolina , women still have reproductive freedom,” Cooper said at a recent event with Democratic female legislative candidates . “And as governor, I aim to keep it that way. But I cannot do it alone — I have to have a number in the legislature who would be willing to stand with me.”They say voters are focused on the national economy and 40-year inflation highs under Joe Biden’s presidency. GOP candidates are running ads blaming Washington for higher prices and talk about what Republicans in Raleigh have done to counter them, such as cutting income taxes. Cooper said the GOP’s “worst impulses can’t be stopped” if it gains too much power. But Senate leader Phil Berger said a supermajority actually protects the state from Cooper ’s bad decisions. Berger named vetoed bills that would have raised teacher pay and ensured that July 4 fireworks displays and parades could happen in 2020 during the pandemic.“We’re going to continue to push to reduce our tax rates. We’re going to continue to push to address regulatory problems,” Berger said. “We’re going to continue to push to address the abysmal situation in our education system, where our children are not learning how to read.”Fontenot said changes to welfare programs he seeks would encourage families to remain intact and discourage abortions . He said he wants to get elected “to update a lot of the policies that we have in place that I believe can help our everyday citizens.”
