1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am outraged that partisan politics have taken priority over providing meaningful aid to the communities devastated by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. The legislature has squandered a critical opportunity to allocate much-needed relief funds by lacing the bill with provisions that undermine the will of voters and consolidate power for one party. This cynical move is a disservice to the people they were elected to represent. Using a natural disaster as a pretext to diminish the authority of incoming elected officials is reprehensible and reveals a concerning disregard for democratic principles. The citizens of North Carolina deserve better than this brazen power grab cloaked as disaster relief. I urge all representatives who value integrity and the interests of their constituents to reject such blatantly self-serving tactics. The legislature must return to the drawing board and draft legislation that genuinely addresses the urgent needs of impacted communities without partisan riders. Failing to do so will only further erode public trust in our institutions. Those who prioritize political gamesmanship over tangible support for their suffering constituents should be held accountable at the ballot box.