North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) issued two executive orders from March 13-19. As of March 19, Cooper has issued five executive orders in 2023 — seven fewer than he did at this point a year ago.
- Executive Order No. 278, where the governor directed and authorized the director of the Office of State Human Resources to emphasize in job postings that experience can replace formal education.
- Executive Order No. 279, where the governor directed the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to establish the North Carolina Office of Violence Prevention.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. During the week of March 13-19, the nation’s governors issued 25 executive orders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued the most with nine. Governors in 39 states issued the fewest with zero. Democratic governors issued 13 of the 25 orders, while Republican governors issued 12.
Cooper has served as governor since Jan. 1, 2017. He issued 31 executive orders in 2022 and 58 in 2021. Nationally, governors issued at least 1,559 executive orders in 2022. Governors have issued 345 executive orders in 2023. Republican governors issued 210, while Democratic governors issued 135. North Carolina is a divided government, meaning neither party holds trifecta control.
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