By Paul Specht for WRAL
Republican state legislators want to limit the power of the executive branch to enact new regulations.
Under the newly-proposed REINS Act, the North Carolina General Assembly would need to approve any new rules proposed by state agencies that could have an economic impact of $1 million or more over a 12-month period. Such proposals are already reviewed by the state Rules Review Commission, but the General Assembly isn’t involved in the process unless the policy faces numerous objections.
The bill, if enacted, would give more power to Republicans who control the legislature with a near-supermajority.
Members of the House Regulatory Reform Committee met Tuesday and voted to advance the legislation, sending it to a judiciary committee for further review. It needs to be passed by the House and Senate and then signed by Gov. Josh Stein to become law.
The REINS Act is the latest effort by Republican legislators to limit the power of executive branch officials. A law approved late last year gave Republicans new powers over elections, public schools, utilities, and more by stripping control from Stein and other Democrats who won statewide elections in November. Another bill still under consideration would block the state Attorney General, Democrat Jeff Jackson, from filing legal challenges to presidential orders.
The REINS Act would affect every state agency — not just those controlled by Democrats — and shouldn’t be considered as political retribution, said state Rep. Allen Chesser, who sponsored the bill.
“This is not targeting any one individual, any one branch of government, any party,” the Nash County Republican said. “This gives everyone a seat at the table, gives everyone a voice.”
State Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, said the bill could endanger public safety because it would require another round of approvals for rules related to pollution or people’s health.
“We are creating a very burdensome and problematic extra layer that’s going to get in the way of our ability to protect our citizens,” Harrison said.
Supporters of the bill said it’s needed to “rein-in” state agencies that want to enact new regulations that would have a significant impact on North Carolina’s businesses and voters. Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, said he had personally grown frustrated with state rules for fishing and crabbing.
Chesser said he feared voters would hold legislators accountable for rules they played no part in crafting, citing Kidwell’s frustrations as an example. Thus, it’s only fair that legislators involve themselves in the process of approving major rule changes.
“This is all about transparency and accountability,” Chesser said.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Chesser and other bill supporters held a press conference alongside advocates for limited government. Representatives for Americans for Prosperity, the Pacific Legal Foundation, Goldwater Institute and the John Locke Foundation spoke in favor of the REINS Act. Other GOP-run legislatures — Indiana, Kansas and Wyoming — enacted similar laws in recent years, advocates noted.
The preceding article originally appeared on March 18, 2025 at WRAL’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition.
