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Tags: north carolina | cooper | forest | orders | coronavirus

North Carolina's Lt. Governor Suing Governor Over Restrictive COVID Policies

dan forest speaks at an event
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Republican nominee for governor. (Ethan Hyman/The News & Observer via AP)

By    |   Thursday, 25 June 2020 08:08 PM EDT

North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, plans to sue Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, due to executive orders issued by Cooper during the coronavirus pandemic that "makes it impossible" for Forest to do his job.

In a letter to Cooper, Forest accused Cooper of issuing executive orders that “makes it impossible for me, as Lieutenant Governor, and all of the other members of the Council of State to fulfill our oaths to uphold the laws of North Carolina.”

"The Emergency Management Act requires that you seek and receive concurrence from the Council of State prior to exercising the most expansive statewide emergency powers of the Governor," Forest wrote.

He said Cooper talked to the council before issuing a March 17 order to suspend dine-in service at restaurants but neglected to get further input on the matter.

Since then, Cooper hasn't sought input from the council on any other orders.

Forest is also running against Cooper in the gubernatorial election this November. 

Dory MacMillan, Cooper's press secretary, hinted in a statement to CNN that Forest, is playing politics by using coronavirus.

"There's no room for politics during a pandemic," she told the network. "The Governor will continue to be guided by science and the law as he works every day with public health experts to keep North Carolinians safe."

On Wednesday, Cooper issued a mask requirement for anyone in public.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, I've been clear that data and science would lead the way. In following that standard, it’s clear that our numbers will keep us from moving ahead in the next phase of easing restrictions,” Cooper said.

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Politics
North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, plans to sue Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, due to executive orders issued by Cooper during the coronavirus pandemic that "makes it impossible" for Forest to do his job.
north carolina, cooper, forest, orders, coronavirus
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2020-08-25
Thursday, 25 June 2020 08:08 PM
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