Lawmakers: Governor shouldn't have unilateral power to shut down NC

House Bill 264 would require Gov. Cooper or any future governor to get approval from the Council of State, a group of 10 officials elected statewide, when ordering schools or large swaths of the economy to close, as Cooper did last spring in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.

The governor would have up to seven days after issuing a shutdown order to seek the council's support, and the council would then have to reaffirm its support every 30 days after that. The requirement applies only for orders that affect at least two-thirds of North Carolina's 100 counties…read more.