RALEIGH, N.C. _ In a surprise move Wednesday morning, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the state budget with just over half of the 120 members present to vote.
Democrats in the chamber objected to the bill being brought up, saying they were told there would be no votes during the 8:30 a.m. session and that it was just a formality so work could begin. Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincolnton Republican, made the motion to reconsider the state budget and chaos in the chamber quickly ensued. House Speaker Tim Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican, said that announcement was not made, and even asked the House Clerk to back him up.
"This is a travesty of the process and you know it," Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, said when the vote was called, noting that Democratic leadership was not present. "We will not yield."
Moore ignored the objections of the Democrats that were in the room and instead mowed through the vote with only 64 members present. The vote was 55-9.
About three hours later, Cooper held a news conference to condemn Republicans for what he called "an assault on our Democracy."
"Today, on the 18th anniversary of 9/11, while the state was honoring first responders, Republicans called a deceptive, surprise override of my budget veto," he told reporters.
"On a day when tragedy united our country, we should be standing together despite party," Cooper said. Instead, he said, "the Republican caucus was laying in wait, ready for this."
"I have never seen anything like this in my 30-plus years in state government," he said.
Moore responded to Cooper and Democrats at a 1 p.m. news conference, where he denied that any promises were made about a "no vote" session. The budget was on Wednesday's calendar and included no disclaimer that there wouldn't be a vote.
"If they didn't want it to pass, all you have to do is show up for work," Moore said.
The House can conduct business so long as it has a quorum _ at least 61 lawmakers _ present. Both chambers of the General Assembly need three-fifths majority of the members present and voting to override a veto from the governor. With 67 lawmakers present, only 40 votes were needed for the override.
"How dare you, Mr. Speaker?" Butler said. "The trickery that is being evidenced by this morning is tantamount to a criminal offense."
Butler described the vote as a "hijacking of the process."
Rep. John Autry, a Mecklenburg Democrat, posted to Facebook video he took during the session of Butler interacting with the speaker.
After the session, Republicans went into a caucus meeting, where they stayed while Democrats held a news conference in the room next door.
House Democratic leader Darren Jackson, of Wake County, said he told his caucus that they did not need to be at the morning session because Rep. David Lewis, a Harnett County Republican, told him there would be no recorded votes.
Jackson was not at the 8:30 a.m. session. There were just 12 Democrats, and they did not all have a chance to vote, they told reporters. Jackson said that microphones were cut off.
"If we can't trust each other, this place will fall apart, it's just too big an entity to run, too many processes to require for everything to be in writing," Jackson said. He said if someone with power tells you something is going to happen, you have to trust that it will.
Jackson said he wants Lewis to recall the veto vote before it goes to the Senate.
Lewis denied Jackson's claim during the Republicans' news conference.
"I publicly announced twice (on Tuesday) that there would be votes today," Lewis said. "As House Democrats are well-aware, no-vote sessions are explicitly announced from the chair, on the floor" or from the speaker's email account.
Butler told reporters that she was threatened with arrest on the House floor. She called the Republicans' action "scorched earth politics" and an "embarrassment."
"What happened in that chamber this morning is heartbreaking," she said. "The fact that they would sit and lie in wait to trap these good citizens, these good representatives, is disgraceful."
The budget impasse had dragged out all summer long.
Pieces of the budget were starting to be passed, including raises for many state employees. Cooper had complained that the override vote was on the House calendar repeatedly since being placed there on July 9, but no vote had been held.
"Day after day, they put the vetoed budget on the calendar, and day after day they don't vote on an override. They try strong arming, bribes, public pressure, university tours and even trickery. Still, they do not vote on the vetoed budget," Cooper said a few weeks ago. The governor offered up a budget compromise and said he was waiting on the Republicans' counterproposal.
