Today, Governor Josh Stein announced he would not appeal the trial court’s decision regarding Senate Bill 382 and its impact on the State Highway Patrol’s structure. Governor Stein issued a statement explaining his reasoning.
“I brought this lawsuit to ensure that our public safety leaders are accountable to the people of North Carolina, as required by our state’s Constitution. Making a Commander of the State Highway Patrol unremovable for any reason would threaten public safety, and I am relieved the Court did not endorse such a result. I continue to have confidence in Colonel Freddy Johnson’s ability to lead the State Highway Patrol effectively, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to keep people safe.”
Governor Stein contested Senate Bill 382 due to its ambiguity concerning whether it aimed to override the Governor’s constitutional authority to remove the Commander of the State Highway Patrol when necessary until at least 2030. The bill could have been interpreted as preventing such removal under any circumstances, even if there were misconduct or criminal activity involved.
Last month, a three-judge panel determined that Senate Bill 382 was not clearly unconstitutional. Although Governor Stein disagrees with some parts of this decision, he acknowledges it affirms his constitutional power to remove a Commander and thus sees no need for an appeal at this time.
