Off to an early start

Published December 30, 2016

[caption id="attachment_3774" align="alignleft" width="150"]Roy Cooper Roy Cooper[/caption]

Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, December 30, 2016.

How eager is Democrat Roy Cooper to become governor of North Carolina? While others ring in the New Year Saturday night, he’ll take the oath of office just moments after 12.

The state constitution says the governor’s term begins on Jan. 1 following the election, but most new governors wait until the sun comes up to get to work. Going forward, we encourage Cooper to conduct public business in the light of day whenever possible.

Formal inaugural ceremonies will be held Jan. 6. They’ll include a parade and an open house at the Executive Mansion.

This should be a happy time for Cooper, who served 16 years as the state’s attorney general before winning the higher office. Instead, the past few weeks have been troubling. His margin of victory was barely 10,000 votes and had to withstand challenges of alleged voting irregularities and a recount in Durham County before Republican Gov. Pat McCrory finally conceded.

Then the legislature met for three special sessions this month: one to provide disaster relief in the wake of floods and wildfires; a second to clip the powers of the incoming governor; and the third to attempt to repeal House Bill 2.

Cooper will enter office as a weakened Democratic governor facing an overtly hostile and extremely powerful Republican legislature. And he’ll inherit the crushing burden of HB 2.

The collapse of a “deal” to do away with the controversial law increased the level of bitterness over it. Still, repeal remains in the state’s best interest. Cooper must appeal to Republican legislators’ better judgment, using allies in the business, sports, entertainment and travel and tourism industries to make the case that the economic damage won’t end until HB 2 is off the books.

In the meantime, he must pick up where McCrory left off in coordinating efforts to rebuild portions of eastern North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Matthew and areas in the western part of the state scorched by fires. This month’s special legislative session only made a down payment on the money needed to effect recovery in the east. Cooper must make sure funds already available are spent effectively and work on long-term rebuilding plans. Questions about how and where to rebuild roads, water and sewer lines and other infrastructure must be addressed. This will be an important test of Cooper’s leadership, and if he does well, he should earn a degree of trust among legislators who represent the people and communities in need.

With such a short transition, Cooper has had little time to assemble an administration. His picks to lead executive agencies will be subject to confirmation by an opposition Senate, which will slow his progress. Yet he must quickly draft a recommended budget that advances his vision for education, transportation, public safety, health care and other issues. It’s a daunting task.

He has some models from whom to draw inspiration. Republicans Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin contended with Democratic legislatures and achieved some key objectives. Cooper should consult with Martin, who is still engaged in affairs of state, and solicit his support.

Nationally, outgoing two-term Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, wasn’t afraid to tangle with Republican super-majorities in his legislature. Lawmakers overrode 96 of his vetoes, he told The New York Times, but “I’ve had 283 sustained” — often by appealing for public support.

Cooper should choose his battles carefully and seek compromise first. Where he and legislative leaders agree on what’s best for the state, they should work together and share credit. Where they differ, as they will often, the governor will have the biggest megaphone. Cooper should use it to speak directly to the people, from whom he draws his real authority. We wish him early and sustained success.

http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/n_and_r_editorials/our-opinion-off-to-an-early-start/article_51e0843e-597a-5ca6-9b89-e8f9e54a7db7.html