Governor Stein blasts court decision on appointment power
'There's really absolutely no justification other than crass partisan motivation for them to intervene at this point,' said Stein.
Late Wednesday, the Court of Appeals of North Carolina ruled that Senate Bill 382 could be enacted. The legislation, passed by the General Assembly last year, gave the state auditor, a Republican, the power to appoint members to the state Board of Elections, a power traditionally held by the governor.
By Thursday afternoon, Republicans had assumed a 3-2 control over the board. Stein argued it would assist the GOP in their efforts to overturn the result of a state supreme court race that Stein believes was decided many months ago. North Carolina's Republican Party argued the board had become too partisan under Democratic control.
'The actions of the current board majority placed partisanship and politics over performance. Under Auditor Boliek, North Carolinians will have confidence our votes are counted with accuracy, consistency, and integrity,' said Matt Mercer, spokesperson for the NC GOP.
Stein intends to appeal to the Supreme Court of North Carolina.
On the topic of Helene recovery, Stein is also waiting to hear back from the White House after he appealed a rejection by FEMA to continue cost sharing 100 percent of the damage caused by the hurricane. He contends the amount of damage seen puts Helene on par with Hurricanes Katrina and Ike.
'This clearly fits that same degree, that same level of storm damage. I've asked the President to overrule FEMA, and I'm hopeful that he will do so,' said Stein.
At the state level, North Carolina has also rolled out a new $55 million grant program to help local governments support small businesses. Stein says grant money could be used to repair broadband connections, sidewalks, and even sewer and water infrastructure. Grants can be as much as $1 million.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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