Bridging the gap: Governor-elect and Legislature have to learn to work together

Roy Cooper's term in office as governor of North Carolina hasn't even started yet, but he is already butting heads with the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Legislators have not only taken away some of the governor's appointive powers, they have balked at a compromise that would have repealed the state law that requires transgender people to use public restrooms of their gender anatomy -- something Cooper has vowed to do.

It looks like an uneasy four years in Raleigh.

Cooper narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Pat McCrory for the job of governor, but he is a liberal leading a state whose legislative branch is solidly conservative. He can expect a rough road ahead.

Judging by the statewide votes for Donald Trump for president and Richard Burr for Congress, you could easily say that North Carolina is mostly conservative. But there is also a sizable amount of the state's population that is more liberal in its thinking. Those folks are deeply angered by the Legislature's actions to limit Cooper's power. He was, after all, elected by the entire state. No legislator can say that.

North Carolina is severely divided politically. Both Cooper and the state's lawmakers should recognize that fact and work to bridge the gap that exists between the two sides. All were elected to serve the state's residents. They should not let party politics get in the way of that service.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Published in Editorials on December 27, 2016 9:52 AM