Gov. Cooper vetoes western NC funding bill, calling it a ‘sham’
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Governor Roy Cooper has vetoed Senate Bill 382. While the bill would have allocated $227 million for western North Carolina hurricane relief, the governor called the bill a ruse to dwindle the power of incoming democratic Governor-Elect Josh Stein.
Under the bill, $227 million would be moved from the state’s $4 billion rainy day fund to the Helene relief fund. It would also would move up several post-election deadlines in 2025 after Republican complaints that counties took too long this month to count provisional and absentee ballots.
Lawmakers who opposed to the bill argued it waters down the power of the governor’s office by shifting oversight of elections from the governor’s appointees to the newly-elected Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek, giving him the power to appoint 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats to the board starting in May.
Currently, the State Board of Elections is appointed by the governor, who picks three members of his or her party and two members of the minority party.
SB 382 would also require the governor to fill judicial vacancies from a list of recommendations provided by the political party of the departing judge, including the N.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. That could prevent Stein from picking a Democrat to replace a Republican judge who resigns or dies in office.
In addition, SB 382 would force incoming Democratic Attorney General Jeff Jackson to defend the General Assembly in legal matters — a creation of new restrictions on the attorney general’s power to participate in lawsuits, namely those where action by the legislature is being challenged in court.
“This legislation is a sham. It does not send money to Western North Carolina but merely shuffles money from one fund to another in Raleigh. This legislation was titled disaster relief but instead violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor for the Board of Elections, Utilities Commission and Commander of the NC Highway Patrol, letting political parties choose appellate judges and interfering with the Attorney General’s ability to advocate for lower electric bills for consumers,” Cooper said.
“Instead of giving small business grants to disaster counties, it strikes a cruel blow by blocking the extension of better unemployment benefits for people who have lost jobs because of natural disasters. Finally, it plays politics by taking away two judges elected by the people and adding two judges appointed by the legislature, taking away authority from the Lieutenant Governor and the Superintendent of Public Instruction and more,” Cooper said.
State lawmakers can still override the governor’s veto. The legislature needs 60% of members in attendance in both chambers to vote to override a veto.
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