North Carolina Legislature Passes Controversial Bill Combining Helene Relief and Power Restructuring

The bill, criticized as a Republican power grab, allocates limited hurricane relief funds while shifting authority from incoming Democratic officials to Republican-controlled bodies.

The North Carolina General Assembly approved a 131-page bill that combines $227 million in Hurricane Helene relief with provisions reducing the powers of incoming Democratic officials, including the governor and attorney general.
Critics argue the bill prioritizes political maneuvering over adequate disaster relief, with Democratic lawmakers and local leaders stating it fails to address urgent housing and business recovery needs in Western North Carolina.
Key changes in the bill include transferring the authority to appoint the State Board of Elections from the governor to the state auditor and limiting the attorney general's ability to take positions contrary to the legislature's stance in court cases.
The legislation passed along party lines, with three Republican House members from Western North Carolina joining Democrats in opposition, citing insufficient aid for their storm-stricken districts.
Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has condemned the bill as a 'massive power grab' and may veto it; however, the Republican supermajority in the legislature could face challenges overriding the veto if dissenting GOP members maintain their stance.