Associated Press: Advocates warn House rule change could undermine voters

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina civil rights advocates denounced a House rule change Tuesday that could allow Republicans to override vetoes on contentious bills with little notice, saying it subverts democracy and the will of voters.

Republicans pushed through temporary operating rules this month that omitted a longstanding requirement that chamber leaders give at least two days’ notice before holding an override vote. The move could allow Republicans — who would need some Democratic support to veto legislation if all members were present — to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes when they notice even a couple of Democratic colleagues are absent, even momentarily. …

As lawmakers prepare to debate bills on abortion access, LGBTQ rights and immigration, Miles Beasley, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities fellow at Common Cause North Carolina, said he worries the rule could be abused to further disadvantage vulnerable communities.

One proposed measure of which the outcome could depend on House attendance is a “ Parents’ Bill of Rights ” like the one Senate Republicans introduced Tuesday. The bill would bar instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in K-4 public school curricula and require schools to alert parents prior to any change in the name or pronoun used for their child.

“These surprise votes rob us of our right to speak to our representatives before important votes happen, cutting us out of the lawmaking process,” said Beasley, a student at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh.

He urged House Republicans not to resort to “petty power plays” when they vote on permanent rules in the coming weeks.