RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed House Bill 377, saying the legislation would threaten judicial independence by giving the state Supreme Court chief justice the authority to suspend trial judges without pay.
Stein argued that the power would be unprecedented, saying no other chief justice in the country has similar authority. He said most North Carolina judges are elected by voters and that removing them from office should primarily be determined by the people.
The governor also compared the proposed authority to other elected officials, arguing that legislative leaders cannot suspend elected lawmakers and the governor cannot suspend elected members of the Council of State.
Stein also criticized the role the Judicial Standards Commission would have under the bill. He said the commission provides little protection against political influence because the chief justice and legislative leaders control nearly all of its appointments.
The governor accused the General Assembly of politicizing the state’s judiciary for more than a decade, including taking control of all four appointments that previously belonged to the nonpartisan North Carolina State Bar.
Stein said an independent judiciary is essential to protecting the rule of law and the rights of North Carolinians, and said those concerns led him to veto the legislation.
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