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Debate in North Carolina over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
These pages were updated from March 2020 through June 2020 and do not contain the latest commentary available. To submit arguments for inclusion on this page, email editor@ballotpedia.org. To learn how Ballotpedia decides which arguments to feature, click here.
Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. In addition to monitoring federal, state, and local responses to the coronavirus, we are also capturing the nationwide and local debates on whether to extend or lift coronavirus-related restrictions affecting the economy, schools, government operations, public health, religious services, and travel.
These arguments come from a variety of sources, including public officials, journalists, think tanks, economists, scientists, and other stakeholders. We encourage you to share the debates happening in your local community to editor@ballotpedia.org.
This article covers the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in North Carolina in response to the coronavirus pandemic. You will find the following:
- Debate over the stay-at-home order
- Debate over school closures
- Debate over religious service restrictions
- Debate over election policy
Debate over stay-at-home orders in North Carolina
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on the stay-at-home order in North Carolina.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (Office of NC Governor Roy Cooper): Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order that eased stay-at-home restrictions starting May 8. The order allowed retail businesses to reopen at 50% capacity while following social distancing measures.
"COVID-19 is still a serious threat to our state, and Phase 1 is designed to be a limited easing of restrictions that can boost parts of our economy while keeping important safety rules in place. … This is a careful and deliberate first step, guided by the data, and North Carolinians still must use caution while this virus is circulating." - "Governor Cooper Announces Modified Stay At Home Order and Transition to Phase 1 of Easing Restrictions," May 5, 2020.
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Phil Berger (R) (Rhino Times): Phil Berger (R) responded to Governor Roy Cooper’s (D) executive order that eased some stay-at-home restrictions effective May 8.
"Gov. Cooper’s announcement today is largely a continuation of the existing lockdown. A statewide stay-at-home order still remains in place, and nearly every business that applied for essential status has already been operating at limited capacity so long as they practice social distancing. … We were told ‘flattening the curve’ to prevent overloading hospitals justified a lockdown. Hospitals are not overloaded, and in fact they’re laying people off." - "Berger Critical Of Cooper’s New Stay-At-Home Order," May 6, 2020.
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U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R) (WFAE): U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R) explained why he supported keeping North Carolina’s stay-at-home order in place.
"We’re moving in the right direction but we have not beaten this virus. … And the last thing we can do now is to let our guard down." - "While NC Republicans Increasingly Criticize Cooper, Tillis Stands By Governor," April 27, 2020.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen (ABC 11): Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen argued against allowing counties to decide whether to lift stay-at-home restrictions.
"I think making decisions at the county level is incredibly challenging given how people move through the county. The virus certainly doesn't respect county borders." - "NC coronavirus: At least 8,052 cases, 269 deaths confirmed," April 24, 2020.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (The News & Observer): Governor Roy Cooper explained why he was extending the state’s stay-at-home order until May 8, 2020.
"It’s important to get our economy moving forward. … We’re helping with unemployment payments, stimulus money and the businesses that continue to be open. But I won’t risk the health of our people or our hospitals. And easing these restrictions now would do that." - "Gov. Cooper extends NC stay-at-home order into May amid ongoing coronavirus threat," April 23, 2020.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (WBTV): Governor Roy Cooper (D) responded to protests of North Carolina’s stay-at-home order by arguing that a wholesale lifting of the order would be dangerous. He said that he supported a gradual lifting of the order that would be guided by data on the spread of the virus in the state.
"We understand that we can’t stay at home forever and that this is not something that is sustainable long-term. ... But what we have to do is to ease back into it to make sure that this virus does not spike - which it very easily could do - overwhelming our hospitals. … I think the people of North Carolina want us to rely on science and data and facts and consultation with our business community who are out there wanting to protect their employees and wanting to be doing more to contribute to the economy and I think it’s going to take all of us pulling together to do that the right way." - "‘We can’t stay home forever.’ Gov. Cooper addresses criticism of N.C. stay at home orders," April 21, 2020.
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State Senator Phil Berger (R-30) and 28 other state senators (Scribd): In a letter to Governor Roy Cooper, State Senator Phil Berger (R) and 28 other state senators urged the governor to release a more detailed plan for re-opening the state, including data on testing capacity and the supply of personal protective equipment.
"Up to this point, your Department of Health and Human Services has failed and refused to disclose those data points that seem to be most important in determining that it is safe to begin reopening. … In summary: What is your plan, when will your administration begin releasing your plan, and when will your administration begin releasing, not withholding, key information? North Carolinians deserve to know." - "Letter to Governor Roy Cooper," April 21, 2020.
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State Rep. Jake Johnson (R-113) (Facebook): In a letter to Governor Roy Cooper (D), State Rep. Jake Johnson (R) argued that counties should be allowed to decide whether and how to lift stay-at-home restrictions.
"As a former county commissioner chair, I believe that these boards, county departments and county employees are well suited to know what is best for their individual communities. We need strategies that are tailored to each county’s unique situation, as opposed to a one size fits all solution." - "Letter to Governor Roy Cooper," April 16, 2020.
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Ashley Smith, co-founder of ReOpenNC (11 Eyewitness News): ReOpenNC urged Governor Roy Cooper to lift North Carolina’s stay-at-home order, arguing that the order is unconstitutional and unjustified given its economic impact. Ashley Smith, co-founder of ReOpenNC, explained her opposition to the order.
"That's the driving force behind this movement. Our Constitutional rights to work and to provide for our families to take care of ourselves, to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness among other personal liberties are being trampled on more right now." - "ReOpen NC gears up for Tuesday rally against Gov. Cooper's stay-at-home order," April 14, 2020.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (The News & Observer): Governor Roy Cooper explained why he did not support a wholesale lifting of North Carolina’s stay-at-home order.
"Epidemiologists have been running models on North Carolina’s caseload and our hospitals’ ability to care for those who are sick. … These models show consistently that our executive orders work and that wholesale lifting of the orders would be a catastrophe." - "Stay closed or reopen? Opposing NC groups promote their positions on stay-at-home order," April 13, 2020.
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Mark McClellan, FDA Commissioner from 2002 to 2004 (The News & Observer): "By every analysis that we’ve seen … places like North Carolina, even though we’ve had some significant spread of the virus and even though we’ve missed some of it because of asymptomatic cases and limited testing, my guess and a lot of expert epidemiologists best estimate is only a small share of people in North Carolina are actually immune — less than 10 percent. That means if we are going to think about reopening successfully we have to prepare for the possibility of the virus really being able to affect the vast majority of North Carolinians even after what we’ve been through already and we have to plan accordingly for that. … When we do take steps to reopen, it’s not going to be reopening to the place we were before the stay-in-place orders went into effect." - "Gov. Cooper extends NC stay-at-home order into May amid ongoing coronavirus threat," April 23, 2020.
"Gov. Cooper outlines details of ‘phase one’ of reopening NC" - WECT News, May 5, 2020
Additional reading
Debate over school closures in North Carolina
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on school closures in North Carolina.
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Terry Stoops, vice president of research for the John Locke Foundation (Raleigh News-Observer): "The option to wear the mask along with the other recommendations will discourage a lot of teachers from wanting to go back to in-person teaching in the fall." - "NC won’t require face masks when schools reopen. But some argue that the state should.," June 10, 2020.
Debate over religious service restrictions in North Carolina
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on religious service restrictions in North Carolina.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (Times News): Governor Roy Cooper (D) announced a re-opening plan, effective May 8, that allowed for in-person church services held outdoors, so long as they followed social distancing measures.
"We are easing restrictions in a data-driven way [that will] give people safe opportunities to socialize and boost parts of our economy while keeping important safety restrictions in place." - "North Carolina governor to ease stay-home order later this week," May 6, 2020.
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Rep. Keith Kidwell (R) (Carolina Coast Online): Rep. Keith Kidwell filed HB1059, a bill designed to allow in-person religious services to be held during the state of emergency.
"The big-box stores are allowed to remain open, and it looks like it’s Christmastime in most of them. … Yet churches are not allowed to open even though they’ve been declared essential businesses." - "Hundreds of North Carolina churches might sue Gov. Roy Cooper," May 6, 2020.
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Governor Roy Cooper (D) (Carolina Journal): Governor Roy Cooper (D) explained why he supported limiting religious gatherings to no more than 10 people.
"When people gather together and are around each other for a long time, the evidence is overwhelming that the virus can spread so much more easily. … Unfortunately, this has happened at churches in our state and in our country." - "Governor calls politicians irresponsible for promoting church gatherings," April 17, 2020.
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State Senator Jim Perry (R-7) (Carolina Coast Online): In a letter to Governor Roy Cooper (D), State Senator Jim Perry (R-7) argued that North Carolina’s stay-at-home order placed more severe restrictions on houses of worship than on certain retail stores, even though the former count as essential businesses.
"Major retailers are allowed 20% of the fire code occupancy per one thousand square feet. … Twenty percent of the fire code occupancy assigned to our building would be 100 people. His order for houses of worship is only 10 people or less. Why are houses of worship not being treated as the retail stores and other businesses when we are an essential business as well?" - "N.C. senator urges governor to reconsider restrictions on people’s freedom to worship," April 16, 2020.
Debate over election policy in North Carolina
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on election policies in North Carolina.
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Democracy NC and the League of Women Voters (News Observer): Democracy NC and the League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the North Carolina Board of Elections arguing that certain state voting policies, such as absentee voting witness/notary requirements and registration deadlines and requirements violated federal law by making it more difficult for disabled voters to vote.
"As of the filing of this complaint, Defendants [North Carolina Board of Elections] have failed to implement any election-related measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on North Carolina’s upcoming general election and safeguard the voting rights of countless eligible North Carolina voters. [...] Defendants will be unable to show that the current voting regulations are justified by legitimate state interests. The disparate impact that will result from enforcing these conditions has the effect of prohibiting individuals with disabilities from participating in the November 3, 2020 general election, in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act." - "NC faces a new lawsuit over voting restrictions during the pandemic," May 23, 2020.
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House Speaker Tim Moore (R) (News & Observer): House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said he opposed proposals to expand voting-by-mail.
"I want to make it very clear that this General Assembly will not approve some sort of mass voting by mail or any other scheme like that that is going to be rife with fraud." - "NC needs to make voting by mail easier during the pandemic, but a top Republican may block the way.," May 4, 2020.
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The Right to Vote Foundation and the National Redistricting Foundation (WECT News 6): The Right to Vote Foundation and the National Redistricting Foundation filed a lawsuit against the state of North Carolina and the Board of Elections on behalf of seven voters. The suit argued that the state’s requirements for absentee voting, including a requirement that the ballot be signed by two witnesses, were too burdensome.
"Taken together, these restrictions on mail ballots are at best unduly burdensome and pose significant risks to voters’ health and safety, and, at worst, impossible to comply with during a global pandemic, and will result in the disenfranchisement of an unprecedented number of North Carolinians, especially those who are medically and financially vulnerable." - "Advocacy group files lawsuit over N.C. absentee ballot restrictions, asks for changes in light of coronavirus," May 4, 2020.
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State Senators Jay Chaudhuri (D-15) and Natasha Marcus (D-41) (The Charlotte Observer): State Senators Jay Chaudhuri (D-15) and Natasha Marcus (D-41) said that the effort to plan for North Carolina’s November general election should be a bipartisan one.
"North Carolina is fortunate to have time to create a comprehensive election protection plan that protects both voting rights and public health. If we work across the aisle in earnest, we can prevent the kind of chaos that Wisconsin voters faced during that state’s primary." - "NC Democrats respond to Sen. Phil Berger on mail-in voting," April 11, 2020.
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State Senator Phil Berger (R-30) (The Charlotte Observer): State Senator Phil Berger (R-30) said that expanding absentee ballot access would risk increased voter fraud.
"The Senate unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Democratic senator Floyd McKissick to tighten our absentee ballot laws. I do not think it is responsible to go back to the way things were when we know exactly what happened under those old rules. It is not a hypothetical: Absentee ballot fraud happened here, and it’s likely to happen again if we roll back our laws." - "Phil Berger statement on NC mail-in voting," April 10, 2020.
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Secretary of State Karen Brinson Bell (WFAE 90.7): Secretary of State Karen Brinson Bell said she supported measures that would make it easier to vote absentee in the November election, such as creating a way for voters to request an absentee ballot online and having the state cover the postage needed to return the ballots. - "NC Elections Board Wants Easier Mail Voting, Along With State Holiday For Election Day," March 26, 2020.
"Voting in a pandemic could be safer in NC thanks to a rare bipartisan bill" - Charlotte Observer, May 31, 2020
"Expand vote-by-mail for 2020, says a bipartisan group of NC lawmakers" - The News and Observer, May 22, 2020
Additional reading
Click the links below for more on responses to the coronavirus pandemic in North Carolina.
- Changes to election dates and procedures
- Statewide stay-at-home order
- Statewide travel restrictions
- Executive orders
- Officials and candidates diagnosed with or quarantined due to coronavirus
- Enacted legislation
- Legislative session changes
- School closures
- Court closures
- Prison inmate release responses
- Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies
General resources
The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.
Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
- Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
- Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)
See also
- Ballotpedia: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- State government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
- Changes to ballot measure campaigns, procedures, and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2022
- Ballotpedia's elections calendar
Footnotes
