Putting power politics ahead of disaster victims

Republicans are taking advantage of a hurricane relief bill to grab power in Raleigh.

NCDOT communications, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Republicans in North Carolina are making another power grab. This time, they’ve wrapped it up in a hurricane relief bill that should have been focused on helping hurting North Carolinians but instead is centered on stripping power from incoming Democrats. They are limiting powers of appointment and moving control of the State Board of Elections from the Governor’s office to the state auditor. They are also limiting the power of the attorney general to enter into lawsuits without approval of the legislature. It’s an insult to the victims of Hurricane Helene and makes clear that power, not people, is the priority of the GOP leadership. They are truly a callous bunch.

Ironically, at the same time the legislature is cynically turning the hurricane relief bill into a power grab, Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democratic Governor Roy Cooper were on Capitol Hill pitching Congress and the Biden administration for more hurricane relief funds for the state. I have to think that the actions of the legislature undermines their effort. At least some Members of Congress are probably asking, “If support is so important, why are Republicans in the legislature playing politics with a bill to provide relief?”

Republicans have been whittling away at the governor’s power since they took control of the legislature in 2011. In many cases, the courts have found their moves unconstitutional. This year, we have a highly partisan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court that have had less concerns about the separation of powers. We’ll find out if they believe in the government envisioned by our Founding Fathers or the one promoted by the hyper-partisans running the legislature.

That said, there’s no guarantee that the measures will become law. Every Democrat and three mountain Republicans stood against the bill. We should praise Representatives Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie, and Mark Pless. They’ve taken a principled stand in opposition to their colleagues and in support of their constituents. It’s not easy to go against against a caucus organization. Those legislators have shown real political courage.

Cooper will likely veto the bill. He will hold it for 10 days first, as the law allows, and then the legislature is scheduled to reconvene in early December to attempt to override his veto. If the three Republicans stand firm, the veto override will likely fail. Democrats and the three mountain Republicans should demand a clean hurricane relief bill. The people of western North Carolina deserve nothing less.

Democrats should start using these shenanigans to portray Republicans as more interested in power than people. Given the devastation of western North Carolina, wrapping power politics around a bill designed to help businesses and families struggling to recover from the most damaging hurricane in history might get legs, especially in western North Carolina. The GOP’s maneuvers are shameful. They should pay at least some price for them.