Calling it an attempt to let billionaires buy the state’s elections, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a wide-ranging bill Friday that would change the rules for campaign finance laws as well as the laws for wearing masks in public, while also subjecting protesters to additional criminal and civil penalties.
Cooper’s veto message didn’t address the part of the bill related to protesters, but he criticized the other parts about mask wearing and campaign finance laws.
The bill was passed earlier this month along party lines in the state legislature, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed — some even walking out and refusing to vote on the bill in their own form of protest.
“”This legislation creates a gaping loophole for secret, unlimited campaign money in the middle of an election year,” Cooper wrote. “While voters are kept in the dark, this scheme allows anonymous out-of-state billionaires to flood North Carolina with campaign contributions to rescue extreme right-wing candidates that Republicans now fear will lose. The legislation also removes protections and threatens criminal charges for people who want to protect their health by wearing a mask.”
Republican lawmakers have said the campaign finance changes will help them create a more even playing field in the race for governor to replace the term-limited Cooper. Democratic nominee Josh Stein has raised millions more than Republican nominee Mark Robinson, according to the most recent campaign finance filings.
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