The North Carolina House of Representatives gave final approval to a bill that proposes to restore checks and balances on Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive powers during an extended emergency. The Emergency Powers Accountability Act (EPAA), or House Bill 264, would require Cooper to get “concurrence of the Council of State” before “exercising certain authorities.” The Council of State consists of bipartisan senior executive offices such as the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, and the Secretary of State. The bill would create a definition for the concurrence of the Council of State under the EPAA, which would clarify how Cooper proceeds in seeking concurrence before acting. According to Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, North Carolina has remained in a perpetual state of emergency for 589 days “with no end in sight.” Cooper declared a state of emergency in response to the pandemic in March 2020, a decision that heralded a …