Josh Stein is filing the first of what are likely to be several lawsuits against the GOP legislation that takes away the governor’s power

RALEIGH, NC (WRAL) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Governor-elect Josh Stein filed their initial lawsuit Thursday challenging as unconstitutional a new law the state legislature passed Wednesday over the veto of to Cooper.

The sweeping law strips a number of powers and duties from the governor’s office, as well as other state offices that Democrats won in this year’s elections. Cooper vetoed it, but Republicans in the state legislature overrode it on party-line votes.

Thursday’s lawsuit challenges only a small part of the law, which makes the state Highway Patrol an independent agency — allowing the state legislature to vote against Stein’s picks to lead the agency and effectively forcing him to choose a Highway Patrol leader that GOP leaders want.

Their lawsuit says it’s unconstitutional. The state constitution gives the governor sole control over public safety, they say, and also prevents the legislative branch from meddling in the affairs of the executive branch.

You can read the whole story Here.