The same people who brought you HB2 are trying to shift the balance of power toward them

North Carolina Republicans lost the Governor’s race and control of the state Supreme Court in this election. But rather than accept defeat, the GOP is mounting an 11th-hour power-grab to curtail all potential sites of Democratic power. The GOP-led legislature convened a special session that was ostensibly aimed at dealing with relief efforts for Hurricane Matthew. Instead, Republican legislators introduced a set of bills that drastically change the structure of state government. The idea is for outgoing Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who lost his bid for re-election in November, to sign these bills in advance of Democratic Gov.-elect Roy Cooper taking office next month. Please click here make an emergency phone call to your member of the North Carolina House of Representatives opposing this undemocratic power grab. When you click on the link, you will see a map. Use the map to find your district. After you find your district, click on it and select "Representative's Web Page."  From there, you will be able to find your Representative's phone number. Please call that number and leave the following message: Hi, my name is ____, and I am calling from [your town]. I oppose the legislature making any changes to the power of the Governor or the Supreme Court during the special session that is underway to supposedly help victims of Hurricane Matthew. The world is watching you and come election time I will remember how you act now! The bills Republicans are planning would limit Cooper’s power to appoint and direct state officials. They would cut the number of state employees and managers whom he can replace from 1,500 to 300, curtail his control over the state Board of Education and the Boards of Trustees of the University of North Carolina system by shifting some of his appointment powers to the legislature, and subject his Cabinet appointments to confirmation by the Republican state Senate. The GOP also plans to strip Democrats of the majorities that they were set to gain on the state Board of Elections and on all county election boards. Please click here make an emergency phone call to your member of the North Carolina House of Representatives opposing this undemocratic power grab. When you click on the link, you will see a map. Use the map to find your district. After you find your district, click on it and select "Representative's Web Page."  From there, you will be able to find your Representative's phone number. Please call that number and leave the following message: Hi, my name is ____, and I am calling from [your town]. I oppose the legislature making any changes to the power of the Governor or the Supreme Court during the special session that is underway to supposedly help victims of Hurricane Matthew. The world is watching you and come election time I will remember how you act now! And we haven’t even discussed the state Supreme Court yet, where Democrats are set to take a 4-to-3 majority after winning a key election last month. Republicans are moving to limit the state Supreme Court’s ability to review constitutional challenges, which would have the effect of empowering judges on lower courts, which are stocked with Republicans. We’re not done yet, because the GOP still has not ruled out introducing legislation to outright pack the court in the coming days. They would expand the court by two members, whom McCrory would get to appoint, meaning Republicans would sneak their way into a five-to-four majority. Democratic legislators have said that they will file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the special session, but guess where such a case would likely wind up? That’s right: the state Supreme Court, which could have two additional Republican members by the time it hears the matter. Please click here make an emergency phone call to your member of the North Carolina House of Representatives opposing this undemocratic power grab. When you click on the link, you will see a map. Use the map to find your district. After you find your district, click on it and select "Representative's Web Page."  From there, you will be able to find your Representative's phone number. Please call that number and leave the following message: Hi, my name is ____, and I am calling from [your town]. I oppose the legislature making any changes to the power of the Governor or the Supreme Court during the special session that is underway to supposedly help victims of Hurricane Matthew. The world is watching you and come election time I will remember how you act now! Keep fighting, The Daily Kos team