Republicans in the North Carolina Senate approved a bill on Tuesday that restricts the state attorney general from participating in legal actions aimed at challenging executive orders issued by the President of the United States.
The legislation prohibits the Attorney General from filing or joining lawsuits in state or federal courts outside of North Carolina that would invalidate any executive order from the President.
Senate Bill 58 passed the Senate on its final reading in a 29-19 vote, showing Republicans’ strong alignment with the Trump administration and a blow to North Carolina’s Democrats.
The move comes months into North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s four-year term, a Democrat who defeated Republican Dan Bishop in the November election.
While bill sponsor Sen. Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, has described the bill as an overdue housekeeping move to address long-standing concerns over the powers exercised by the Council of States members, critics view it as a potential limitation on the attorney general’s capacity to safeguard state interests or challenge federal overreach.
“We should not take away the Attorney General’s ability to represent the citizens of the state of North Carolina when he has the opportunity to defend our state for jobs, for funding, for health care, for things that our people desperately need,” said Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange.
The proposal is already being considered in the House under a companion bill. If Republicans can coordinate an override vote against the governor’s likely veto, the law would take effect immediately and applies to all legal actions initiated on or after its enactment, signaling a new chapter in the state’s legal boundaries concerning federal executive authority.
Supporters of the bill argue that it preserves North Carolina’s autonomy and prevents the state’s top legal officer from engaging in national legal disputes that could undermine state legislation or presidential authority.