Gov. Pat McCrory signs House Bill 17, which limits executive powers
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 17 on Monday afternoon. The bill, which limits executive powers, was passed by the general assembly in a special session last week.
"I have come to realize that the current changes to executive authority in House Bill 17 have been greatly exaggerated by misleading TV ads, paid protesters and state and national media outlets," McCrory said in a statement.
"This bill enhances state employee policies, transfers school safety programs to the education department, allows our state legislature to make university trustee appointments, and clarifies the roles and organizational structure of the superintendent of public instruction and board of education - hardly extreme changes," the governor added.
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House Bill 17 sharply reduces the number of appointees to state government Governor-elect Roy Cooper can make, requires all of Cooper's top agency heads to be approved by the Senate, and it strips Cooper of his power to appoint trustees to the boards of UNC System schools.
McCrory also said: "My major disagreement with this bill is requiring confirmation of cabinet secretaries. This is wrong and short-sighted and needs to be resolved through the leadership skills of the governor-elect working with the legislature beginning in January. With this in mind, I will sign House Bill 17."
