Overall, Gov. Cooper earns an A for his actions during his fifth and sixth years in office.
Kicking off his second term right where he left off, Cooper has not lost sight of protecting North Carolina communities from pollution and making strides toward a just energy transition. Aided by a more cooperative General Assembly following his party’s gains in the 2020 election, Cooper has made progress on several environmental fronts, and stopped some of the worst outcomes using his veto, as well as its threat, to keep pro-polluter legislators in check.
Although well-intended and containing climate goals for which Gov. Cooper has continually advocated, we ultimately opposed House Bill 951 because it gives Duke Energy too much power. But we give Gov. Cooper credit for using the threat of his veto to improve the original version of the bill. Since signing HB 951 into law, Cooper has continued to demonstrate how important addressing climate change is for this state. He signed Executive Order 246 in January 2022, furthering his commitment to boosting offshore wind and achieving environmental equity.
Cooper also acted to protect North Carolina democracy with his veto of Senate Bill 326 and Senate Bill 725, which would have restricted voting access and election funding. His defense of democracy will ensure elections this fall are fairer and safer, but if we lose our veto-sustaining minority, the Republican supermajority can push through harmful legislation Gov. Cooper would have less power to prevent. The governor does not vote on bills, so his score is based solely on which bills he decides to sign into law or veto, his public statements, and executive orders.
