RALEIGH — The General Assembly has completed the override of the veto on a bill containing an additional $252 million in Hurricane Helene relief.
The Senate overrode the veto of Senate Bill 382 on Dec. 2 by a vote of 30-19 down party lines. The House completed the override on Dec. 11 by a vote of 72-46. The House override came after having pushed the vote back twice in a week’s time.
The bill had already seen extensive debate by the House in previous sessions, and the debate prior to the override was therefore limited to two speakers from each party, per House rules.
Presumptive incoming Speaker of the House Rep. Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) gave a few remarks ahead of the override, noting that additional federal relief funds should be coming before Christmas.
Hall additionally addressed how the General Assembly was handling relief funding, saying it was “disappointing” to see some arguments being made that the legislature was treating Helene recovery like a “political football.” He also pledged to make Helene recovery efforts his “sole priority” upon assuming the speakership in January 2025.
Hall said the legislature will be taking a close look at how Gov. Roy Cooper’s North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), the agency in North Carolina handling hurricane recovery, operates given its slow response to past storms.
Rep. Dudley Greene (R-Avery) gave a heartfelt and often tearful description of what he experienced when the hurricane devastated his own home and surrounding areas.
“I’ve heard help is not coming. It has been there,” said Greene, describing the outreach he experienced that was provided by nonprofits, neighbors, volunteers and state agencies.
Green said, “Western N.C. needs the help,” and urged his colleagues to override the veto.
Greene also thanked House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) for his help and for “being on the ground” to make sure Greene’s area was getting what it needed.
Senate Bill 382 was vetoed by Cooper over other provisions unrelated to recovery efforts. The veto was Cooper’s 104th of his two terms. The General Assembly overrode 52 of those vetoes, including Senate Bill 382.
After the Senate override, Cooper issued a statement on X calling the bill a “sham” and a “disgrace,” accusing Republicans of using the relief bill to “mask political power grabs.”
“We heard a lot of lip service from Gov. Cooper about supporting Western North Carolina, but he showed us where he really stands when he vetoed the long-term relief funds our constituents are counting on,” Sens. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), Warren Daniel (R-Burke), Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) and Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson) said in response in a press release.
“His reckless plan to drain our savings reserve would’ve left North Carolina defenseless against another storm,” the senators said. “This bill, which brings the Helene Fund total to over $1.1 billion, will be integral as we continue to work with our local and federal partners in repairing the damage done by Hurricane Helene.”
Cooper’s objections to the bill include removal of certain judgeships and creates two new ones, and it also moves the N.C. State Board of Elections under the N.C. State Auditor’s office and gives the auditor the ability to appoint its members. Republican Dave Boliek defeated current auditor Jessica Holmes in last month’s election. Currently, the governor appoints the five members of the board based on nominees given to him by the two political parties in the state with the largest affiliations, Democrats and Republicans. No more than three from either party can be appointed.
The other changes include making the N.C. State Highway Patrol an independent agency and altering certain powers for the incoming attorney general and superintendent of schools, both of whom are Democrats.
The bill also bars the attorney general from taking actions contrary to state law and from participating in lawsuits brought by other states that would “would result in the invalidation of any statute enacted by the General Assembly.”
“Democrats have resisted every single attempt we’ve made to create a truly bipartisan Board of Elections with an equal number of Democratic and Republican members. Their blatant partisanship is exactly why we need these reforms,” Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said in a statement. “The new measures in Senate Bill 382 actually balance our three branches of state government so that North Carolina remains on a positive trajectory, free from Democratic party and liberal activist obstruction.”
