In a video announcement, Cooper argued that the state of public education is "no less important" than other emergencies. He accused the Republican legislature of trying to "choke the life out of public education" and urged immediate action to stop the damage that would set back schools for a generation.
However, Cooper's announcement drew intense backlash on Twitter as an overreach of government power. Critics accused him of being a hypocrite for opposing private school vouchers while sending his daughter to a private school in Raleigh and attempting to end the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program which provides vouchers to lower and middle-income students.
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In April, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina announced efforts to move forward with education reform bills that promote school choice. One measure includes a bill that would provide equal funding to charter school students along those who attend public school. Critics, such as Cooper, claimed that the bill mostly serves to cut funding for public schools. The measures by state Republicans followed the announcement by State Rep. Tricia Cotham that she would be defecting from the Democratic Party to join the GOP. Her decision, she stated at the time, came from her support for school choice.
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Cooper's declaration of a "state of emergency" has been met with criticism from conservatives who view it as an overreach of government power. The Blaze columnist Auron MacIntyre wrote, "Executive governing in the permanent state of exception to save democracy." Conservative account "PoliMath" tweeted that "neutering the abuse of emergency power by the executive branch should be priority number 1 for every state."
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School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis wrote, "they're losing control over the minds of other people's children. good. cry harder, @RoyCooperNC." Independent Women’s Forum senior policy analyst Kelsey Bolar blasted Cooper, saying, "What a hypocrite. Public schools aren't good enough for his kids, but they are for yours."
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Cooper has been criticized for opposing private school vouchers while sending his daughter to a private school in Raleigh. He has also attempted to end the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program which provides vouchers to lower and middle-income students.
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Purple Strategies partner Rory Cooper commented, "If I *were* the Governor of NC, I would've been declaring a state of emergency when the state was in the bottom third of states reopening schools and depriving children of the education they needed. Not once parents got involved and demanded something better for their kids." Americans for Prosperity vice president Casey Mattox joked, "A ‘state of emergency’ over a bill passed by the legislature. Very serious."