The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Carteret County Superior Court.
Plaintiffs Danielle Bull owns Bull s Tavern at 408 W. Fourth St., while Tiffany Howell owns Burke Street Pub at 1110 Burke St.
The plaintiffs claim that Cooper s executive orders affecting bars and certain private bar permit holders has made it unprofitable to operate and that each plaintiff has suffered financial damages due to the closing of their business.
The plaintiffs want a judge to issue a declarative judgment that Cooperâs executive orders related to bars are a violation of the state Constitution.
They also want a three-judge panel to declare unconstitutional an element of the state s Emergency Management Act, claiming they do not have an adequate remedy for how Cooper has issued his executive orders.