Incoming Gov. Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper sought to expand a lawsuit on Monday to challenge a new wide-ranging law passed by the GOP-led legislature earlier this month that removes power from incoming Democratic officeholders.

Cooper and Stein had already filed a separate lawsuit earlier this month over the wide-ranging bill known as Senate Bill 382, but that case focused on a change making the State Highway Patrol a standalone department, removing it from the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

kAm~? |@?52J[ r@@A6C 2?5 $E6:? 25565 E@ 2? @?8@:?8 =2HDF:E 7:=65 :? (2<6 r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE E@ E2C86E E96 A@CE:@? @7 $q bga E92E EC2?D76CD E96 8@G6C?@C'D A@H6C E@ 2AA@:?E >6>36CD @7 E96 $E2E6 q@2C5 @7 t=64E:@?D E@ E96 DE2E6 2F5:E@C[ 2D H6== 2D E96 A2CE @7 E96 3:== E92E D9:7ED E96 A@H6C E@ 2AA@:?E E96 492:C @7 6249 4@F?EJ 3@2C5 @7 6=64E:@?D 7C@> E96 8@G6C?@C E@ E96 2F5:E@C]k^Am kAm%96 =2HDF:E E96J 25565 E@ H2D @C:8:?2==J 7:=65 3J s6>@4C2ED 2?5 7@4FD65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?6HD@3D6CG6C]4@>^?6HD^A@=:E:4D\8@G6C?>6?E^2CE:4=6agacddbag]9E>=Qm@? $6?2E6 q:== fch[k^2m H9:49 H@F=5 92G6 @G6C92F=65 E96 DECF4EFC6 @7 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 6=64E:@? 3@2C5D 3FE H2D 3=@4<65 7C@> E2<:?8 67764E]k^AmkAm%96 5676?52?ED :? E96 42D6 2C6 @FE8@:?8 #6AF3=:42? w@FD6 $A62<6C %:> |@@C6 2?5 #6AF3=:42? $6?2E6 =6256C !9:= q6C86C]k^AmkAm(:E9 E96 A2DD286 @7 $q bga[ H9:49 2=D@ :?4=F56D D:8?:7:42?E 492?86D E@ 6=64E:@? 3@2C5D[ s6>@4C2ED 2C6 D66<:?8 E@ 2>6?5 E96 =2HDF:E]k^AmkAm%96 :?4@>:?8 2F5:E@C :D #6AF3=:42? s2G6 q@=:6<[ H9@ G@E6CD 6=64E65 E@ C6A=246 s6>@4C2E y6DD:42 w@=>6D]k^AmkAm"%96D6 3=2E2?E=J A2CE:D2? 677@CED E@ 8:G6 4@?EC@= @G6C 6=64E:@?D 3@2C5D E@ 2 ?6H=J 6=64E65 #6AF3=:42? H:== 4C62E6 5:DECFDE :? @FC 6=64E:@?D AC@46DD 2?5 D6CG6 ?@ =68:E:>2E6 AFCA@D6[" r@@A6C D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am kAm$E6:? 25565[ "x? C646?E J62CD[ E96D6 =68:D=2E:G6 =6256CD 92G6 C6A62E65=J EC:65 2?5 72:=65 E@ D6:K6 4@?EC@= @7 E96 $E2E6 q@2C5 @7 t=64E:@?D 7@C E96:C @H? A2CE:D2? 82:?]"k^AmkAm"%9:D =2E6DE >@G6 :?DF=ED E96 G@E6CD H9@ C6;64E65 E96:C A@H6C 8C23[ G:@=2E6D @FC 4@?DE:EFE:@?[ 2?5 >FDE ?@E DE2?5[" 96 D2:5]k^AmkAmrFCC6?E=J[ E96 $E2E6 q@2C5 @7 t=64E:@?D :D 4@>A@D65 @7 E9C66 s6>@4C2ED 2?5 EH@ #6AF3=:42?D] (:E9 E96 ?6H =2H[ E96 3@2C5 :D =:<6=J E@ D9:7E E@ 2 #6AF3=:42? >2;@C:EJ 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? 6:89E J62CD]k^AmkAm"%9:D 3=2E2?E=J A2CE:D2? C6DECF4EFC:?8 @7 E96 $E2E6 q@2C5 :D -- @?46 282:? -- F?4@?DE:EFE:@?2=] xE H:== F?56C>:?6 4@?7:56?46 :? 6=64E:@?D[ 2?5 :E 4@?EC2G6?6D E96 56>@4C2E:4 AC:?4:A=6D @? H9:49 @FC $E2E6 8@G6C?>6?E C6DED] xE 42??@E DE2?5[" D2JD E96 =2HDF:E]k^AmkAmp>@?8 G2C:@FD @E96C AC@G:D:@?D[ $q bga >@G6D Saaf >:==:@? E@ 2 wFCC:42?6 w6=6?6 C6=:67 7F?5 3FE 5@6D ?@E 2==@42E6 :E 2?5 2=D@ AC@9:3:ED :?4@>:?8 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= y677 y24<D@?[ 2 s6>@4C2E[ 7C@> E2<:?8 2?J A@D:E:@? :? 4@FCE 4@?EC2CJ E@ E92E @7 E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J @C 2?J DE2?46 E92E 4@F=5 =625 E@ 2 DE2E6 =2H 36:?8 DECF4< 5@H?]k^AmkAm%96 3:== A2DD65 @G6C r@@A6C'D G6E@ @? 2 A2CEJ\=:?6 G@E6[ H:E9 s6>@4C2ED 282:?DE :E 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D 7@C :E]k^Amk9C ^mkAm©a_ac %96 r92C=@EE6 ~3D6CG6C] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^Qm492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>k^2m] s:DEC:3FE65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EC:3F?64@?E6?E286?4J]4@>Qm%C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^2mk^Am