RALEIGH, N.C. -- A panel of judges is deciding whether North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature is trying to fool voters with cleverly worded amendments that would change the constitution by stripping more power from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in favor of lawmakers.

• A hearing is being held on a request by Gov. Cooper and others.
• The NAACP and Clean Air Carolina are also involved.
• Judges plan to rule before Sept. 1.

A three-judge panel heard Wednesday from lawyers arguing whether lawmakers previously blocked by courts from diminishing Cooper can put two proposed amendments before voters without describing their full effect.

If approved, Cooper believes the amendments would enhance the legislature's power by letting it take over some judicial appointments. It would also gain control of boards and commissions that decide rules for everything from beauty salons to natural gas fracking and running community colleges. 

Republican legislative leaders deny that voters will be misled by the questions because they can read the language for themselves.

North Carolina's five former living governors -- Democrats Jim Hunt, Mike Easley and Beverly Perdue and Republicans Jim Martin and Pat McCrory -- filed a request Tuesday with that three-judge panel asking that their written arguments be considered.

The ex-governors held a news conference Monday urging the public to defeat the proposals if the questions remain in place.

Their proposed brief says they agree with Cooper that the questions mislead people so much as to what the amendments actually do that they are unconstitutional.

The judges plan to rule before Sept. 1.