GOP shortchanges WNC again

GOP hurricane relief efforts fall short for a second time in less than three months.

It’s hard to focus on other news when an unelected billionaire is running unchecked through the federal government confiscating personal information and usurping the powers of Congress while Republicans in the House and Senate cheer him on, but there’s more happening. The North Carolina legislature is back in session and hurricane relief is on the front burner.

Governor Josh Stein is starting his administration with the right priorities. He’s been focused on getting residents of western North Carolina the assistance they need to recover from Helene. He’s made numerous trips out west and he’s proposed more than $1 billion in aid to get the region back on its feet.

Unfortunately, he’s hit a roadblock with the Republicans in the legislature. They put forward a bill that would provide only $500 million, half of the amount Stein requested. It’s the second time in three months that the legislature has proposed less than the region needed.

In December, when Roy Cooper was still governor, the legislature went back into session, supposedly to address the needs of hurricane victims. Instead, they used the time to strip power from Democrats who won seats on the Council of State in November. They shuffled money around from existing funds but refused to allocate additional resources to the region.

As Republican Representative Mark Pless told The Assembly at the time, “The disaster portion of it doesn’t do anything…[I]t was just moving money from one account to another without actually appropriating it for anything.”

Stein’s requests includes money to help businesses affected by the disaster. The legislative proposal stiffs them. Stein understands that a lot of small businesses depend on the fall leaf season to make up a substantial portion of their income. Helene wiped out the entire season. They need support to rebuild and bridge the gap until next fall.

Politically, Stein’s actions are smart. While much of the state trended more Republican in November, areas of western North Carolina actually moved Democratic. Some of the movement might have been based on newcomers moving into the region, but some of it may have been attributed to the NC GOP’s lackluster response to Helene as well as Republicans spreading disinformation that hampered relief efforts. Regardless, Stein is showing more of a commitment to helping the region recover than the Republicans in the legislature. His support could pay political dividends in the future.