Threat Comes as Power Struggle Continues

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov.-elect Roy Cooper of North Carolina on Thursday angrily attacked the Republican-led state Legislature for what he called an unprecedented effort to strip his powers before he takes office, and to advance Republican policies that have led to fierce ideological battles in the state.

Mr. Cooper, a Democrat, defeated the incumbent Republican governor, Pat McCrory, and as the state attorney general, he said he was scrutinizing the legality of the Republican proposals. “They will see me in court,” he warned.

After Republicans, who have large majorities in the General Assembly, called a surprise special session Wednesday, they introduced measures that included ending the new governor’s control over election boards, requiring State Senate approval of his cabinet members and stripping his power to appoint University of North Carolina trustees.

If the measures pass and are signed into law by Mr. McCrory, they would drastically limit Mr. Cooper’s power when he takes office Jan. 1.

In a news conference, the governor-elect blasted lawmakers for plotting secretly for weeks to introduce the bills. He compared the move to the enactment this spring of North Carolina’s “bathroom bill,” known as House Bill 2, which nullified protections for gay and transgender residents. Some say the law, which brought boycotts by sports leagues and some businesses, contributed significantly to Mr. McCrory’s loss. His was the only governor’s seat in the country that Republicans failed to hold on Election Day, even as Donald J. Trump won here.

“We don’t want another disaster like House Bill 2,” Mr. Cooper said. “This is exactly why we had problems with House Bill 2, because they wanted to do it in secret,” he said.

Mr. McCrory conceded the race last week after a nearly monthlong challenge of the vote, a hard-fought race after four years in which unified Republican control of state government brought a wave of restrictions on voting access, abortion and gay rights.

Democratic leaders accused Republicans of trying to undo the election results. “This is an unprecedented, shameful and cowardly power grab from the Republicans,” said Jamal Little, a spokesman for the state’s Democratic Party. “After losing the governor’s office, the G.O.P.-controlled General Assembly is attempting to hold on to power that voters took away from them.”

A Republican leader in the House, David R. Lewis, defended the moves, telling reporters on Wednesday that Republicans would “work to establish that we are going to continue to be a relevant party in governing the state.”

Other Republicans said there was a precedent for the Legislature checking the power of a governor. Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the state Republican Party, asked in a Facebook post “how is this different” than what Democrats in the General Assembly did to a Republican governor, James G. Martin, in the 1980s.

Mr. Cooper rejected the comparison. “That is just not true,” he said when asked by reporters. “What is happening now is unprecedented.”

The most sweeping changes Republicans propose would limit Mr. Cooper’s ability to appoint top members of his administration, and in some cases would limit their powers.

The State Senate would have to approve cabinet secretaries, who are now the governor’s sole discretion. The Legislature seeks to reduce the governor’s influence over the state Board of Education and to enhance the power of the state education superintendent, who is a newly elected Republican.

Mr. Cooper said the changes would set the stage to channel taxpayer dollars into private-school vouchers. Similarly, he said that Republicans sought to take control over the appointments of the departments of commerce, revenue and environmental policy. Their goals, he said, were part of a conservative policy wish list: corporate tax loopholes and weakening clean air and water protections.

“Most people might think that this is a partisan power grab,” Mr. Cooper said. “But it is really more ominous.”

Under one Republican bill, which lawmakers will debate and vote on beginning Thursday, the state and county election boards would be revamped to remove them from the partisan control of the governor.

Under current state law, the governor names five members to the state Elections Board, which in turn appoints the 100 county boards. Now, Republicans seek to make the boards balanced equally between the two parties.

Mr. Cooper’s election, which was decided by only about 10,300 votes, or 0.2 percent, put a spotlight on North Carolina’s elections boards as they examined voting challenges in dozens of counties brought by McCrory supporters, who claimed that dead people and felons had voted.

The challenges stretched on for nearly a month, and it was not until last week that Mr. McCrory conceded.

Still, the state board rulings in the canvass procedure did not necessarily favor Mr. McCrory. Most of the votes his supporters challenged proved inconsequential.

Rumors bubbled up after Mr. Cooper’s election that Republicans in Raleigh would add seats to the State Supreme Court. The court gained a 4-to-3 Democratic majority after the election last month of Judge Mike Morgan. Republicans denied a “court-packing” plan, and no such bill was introduced. But a bill was filed to add party labels in State Supreme Court elections. It was seen as a response to the election of Mr. Morgan, who some observers thought won because voters mistakenly thought he was a Republican.

The special legislative session was announced only at midday on Wednesday, and it came as a surprise to Democrats. Lawmakers had just ended a two-day special session, the third of the year, called to enact relief for victims of natural disasters.

As the fourth extraordinary session was called to order, Democrats complained that they had been given no inkling of any bills Republicans planned to file. In the House, one Democratic representative after another rose to protest that the session was unconstitutional.

Tl;Dr - Republican controlled General Assembly has convened a special session to limit the powers of the incoming Democratic governor - including limiting the number of employees working for him, ending the new governor’s control over election boards, requiring State Senate approval of his cabinet members and stripping his power to appoint University of North Carolina trustees.