On April 28, a three-judge panel issued an order in Gov. Roy Cooper’s legal challenge against Senate Bill 68 to put the law on hold until a further hearing on May 10.

The new law to combine state elections and ethics boards became law when the House and Senate voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 68.

Senate Bill 68 was a renewed effort to revamp the boards after a three-judge panel ruled that the General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted Senate Bill 4 in 2016 to establish a similar bipartisan board to oversee elections and ethics.

On April 25, lawmakers finalized efforts to combine state elections and ethics boards with both the House and Senate voting to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 68.

The bill merges the elections and ethics boards into a single board split evenly between political parties.

The merger of the boards under Senate Bill 68 comes after a three-judge panel ruled that the General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted Senate Bill 4 to establish a similar bipartisan board to oversee elections and consider ethics complaints and issues.

Lawmakers are back to work attempting to combine state elections and ethics boards after a three-judge panel ruled that the General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted Senate Bill 4 establishing a bipartisan board to oversee elections and consider ethics complaints and issues.

The House Elections Committee approved changes to Senate Bill 68 to remove the bill’s original content relating to school attendance, replacing it with a reworked proposal to create a Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.

Senate Bill 68 would merge the elections and ethics boards, but the governor would be able to appoint all members from nominations made by North Carolina’s Republican and Democratic parties. The board would be split evenly between the two parties.

Senate Bill 68 is set for a floor vote in the House on April 5.

On March 17, a three-judge panel ruled that the North Carolina General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted Senate Bill 4 establishing a bipartisan board to oversee elections and consider ethics complaints and issues.

The ruling held that lawmakers violated the separation of powers in trying to take control over appointments in the governor’s administration.

Prior to Senate Bill 4, the State Board of Elections and State Ethics Commission were separate entities and the governor had the power to appoint a majority from his own party to preside over elections. Lawmakers could appeal the decision.

On February 28, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that a three-judge panel did not have the authority to revive the two original boards after lawmakers had dissolved them with Senate Bill 4.

Gov. Roy Cooper is currently challenging Senate Bill 4 on the basis that the General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted the law establishing an eight-member board to oversee elections and consider ethics complaints and issues.

Last month, the North Carolina Supreme Court blocked Senate Bill 4 from taking effect while the legal challenge against the law is pending. This latest ruling means there is not technically an Ethics Commission or Board of Elections. Gov. Cooper is expected to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court, which could reestablish the boards.

Monday, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued an order blocking Senate Bill 4 from taking effect while the legal challenge against the law is pending.

This order halts the merger to combine the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission.

Gov. Roy Cooper is currently challenging Senate Bill 4 on the basis that the General Assembly overstepped its state constitutional authority when it adopted the law establishing an eight-member board to oversee elections and consider ethics complaints and issues.

On Thursday, a ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned a lower court order that blocked Senate Bill 4 from taking effect while the legal challenge against the law was pending.

This allows the merger to go forward to combine the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission.

Gov. Roy Cooper appealed this ruling today to the state Supreme Court.

Yesterday, the U.S Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on a lower court order to hold special elections in November 2017 for North Carolina General Assembly seats in unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts.

The temporary stay of the lower court’s decision will remain in place until the justices decide whether to consider a previously filed appeal from state officials. If the Supreme Court hears the case and overturns the ruling, the special elections would be canceled and current districts restored for the 2018 election.

Last week, a panel of three judges granted Gov. Roy Cooper’s request for the state to temporarily refrain from overhauling the elections board until his active lawsuit is resolved.

Cooper proposed the constitutional separation of powers are overlooked in a new General Assembly law.

If Cooper fails to win the suit, and the law is not overturned, the five-member state Board of Elections will be reorganized into a team of eight under the state Ethics Commission.

On Friday, North Carolina filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay on the federal appeals court ruling that North Carolina must hold special elections in November 2017 for General Assembly seats in unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts.

The legislature would need to redraw districts by mid-March to comply with the ruling. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts set the deadline for a response in the case for January 9, 2017.

Today, Governor-elect Roy Cooper filed a legal challenge against Senate Bill 4. Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens agreed to block the law from taking effect while the lawsuit is pending.

Senate Bill 4 would have taken effect January 1, 2017, to merge the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission and create a new eight-member board split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. The bill was passed by a Republican dominated legislature in an attempt to limit the power of the executive branch before newly elected Democrats take power.

North Carolina lawmakers adjourned a special session yesterday without taking any action to repeal House Bill 2. The special session was called by Gov. Pat McCrory specifically for the purpose of repealing the bill.

House Bill 2 restricts which restrooms transgender people can use and blocks local governments from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances regarding the use of public bathrooms. The legislation has caused boycotts resulting in the loss of millions of dollars from cancelled conventions, concerts and sporting events.

North Carolina lawmakers will meet Wednesday for their third special session this month. Gov. Pat McCrory announced he will call a special session Wednesday to vote on repealing House Bill 2.

House Bill 2 restricts which restrooms transgender people can use and blocks local governments from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances regarding the use of public bathrooms.

On Friday, December 16, Gov. Pat McCrory signed Senate Bill 4 into law. Senate Bill 4 merges the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission and creates a new eight-member board split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

The bill was introduced by Republicans in an attempt to limit the power of the executive branch before newly elected Democrats take power. Governor-elect Roy Cooper has stated that he plans to challenge the law in court as unconstitutional.