SB 382 now law: House overrides Gov. Cooper’s veto of controversial bill

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - On Wednesday, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 72-46 to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a controversial bill, making it law.

This comes after the Senate voted to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of the bill earlier this month.

Senate Bill 382 is aimed at providing $227 million in Hurricane Helene relief for those in Western North Carolina. The money would not immediately be spent, but rather shifted from one fund reserve to another.

However, other unrelated changes in the bill have caused a stir in the state capital.

SB 382 strips power from incoming Democratic leaders like the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Governor-Elect Josh Stein released the following statement in response to the override:

“The people of western North Carolina are desperate for help from their state government. Yet, this bill is a power grab, not hurricane relief. It is despicable for the Republicans in the General Assembly to use folks’ incredible need for aid to cloak their political pettiness. The legislature needs to step up and do its job. If they do, they will find a good faith partner in me. I’m ready to get to work.”

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill in November, calling it a “sham.”

After his veto, Gov. Cooper said in part, “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.”

Ahead of the vote on Wednesday, Republicans like Rep. Destin Hall, District 87, reaffirmed this vote remains to be about helping those impacted by Helene.

“What we do as a state is what we’ve done this time, we come in and we pass a bill to try to meet some immediate relief for those folks who are most affected. It’s about helping folks get back into their homes. It’s not about politics,” Rep. Hall said.

SB 382 also compresses election deadlines for the state’s one hundred counties.

Specifically, SB 382 pushes up the deadline to process provisional and absentee ballots.

The legislation caused the North Carolina Association of Directors of Elections (NCADE) to send a letter to the General Assembly shortly after the Governor’s veto in November.

Brunswick County Board of Elections Director Sara LaVere currently serves as the president of the NCADE.

In the letter, LaVere and the NCADE said, “NCADE represents election professionals who are deeply committed to conducting free, fair, and accurate elections across North Carolina. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the drafters of S382 consulted with election administrators during the drafting process. The timelines and requirements outlined in the legislation do not align with the practical realities of running elections in our state.”

LaVere fears the new deadlines will put a financial and emotional strain on elections staff across the state.

“The proposed changes would also have significant budgetary impacts, particularly in terms of overtime costs and the additional resources required to meet the new deadlines. Counties with limited staff are especially vulnerable to these challenges. Without adequate funding and staffing, meeting the timelines proposed in S382 are simply not feasible,” the NCADE letter states.

Republican lawmakers have tried for years to wrangle control of the board of elections away from the Governor’s office. However, with the GOP supermajority coming to an end soon, this was seen as the last chance to make that happen, at least for several more years.

While questions remain over why Republicans believe state lawmakers should ultimately have a say over the board, tacking those changes on the back of a bill aimed at sending more money to recovery efforts in Western North Carolina doesn’t sit well with everyone, especially Democrats.

Ahead of the House vote on Wednesday, District 18 Rep. Deb Butler met with WECT over Zoom in Raleigh.

Despite Republican leaders telling reporters in Raleigh the state is doing all it can to assist those out west, Rep. Butler slammed GOP lawmakers for turning a bill designed for disaster relief into a political power play.

“It’s just disgraceful. It has nothing to do with the needs of North Carolinians. It’s just a new low, I guess, and that continues to surprise me,” Rep Butler said.

WECT has continuously reached out to District 19 Representative and Republican Charlie Miller and District 20 Representative and Republican Ted Davis for comment ahead of the vote. As of Wednesday, we have not heard back.