North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson reportedly opted out of voting for emergency help for Hurricane Helene after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s office asked top state officials to support it–and blamed Democrats for not doing enough, WRAL reports.
Public records show Cooper needed approval from the elected officials in North Carolina’s executive branch, a group of nine members known as the Council of State, who have the right to exercise authority under the N.C. Emergency Management Act. Robinson is one of the nine that Cooper gave 48 hours to issue a vote on Sept. 24, just days before Helene wreaked havoc on the western territories of the state.
Robinson’s vote never came.
Votes from the Council of State would help the governor quickly mobilize rescue vehicles, order evacuations, and begin necessary emergency actions by waiving some of the state’s transportation regulations for heavy vehicles. Cooper sent more than 700 members of the North Carolina National Guard to help rescue over 400 people and dozens of animals in western North Carolina, which has been crippled by flooding and mudslides. More than 1,000 people have been left homeless, and dozens have been found dead.
On Oct. 1, the GOP gubernatorial candidate jumped on X to call for Cooper to do more to help the victims of Helene, calling it a “life or death situation” and credited Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis for his hurricane relief efforts.
“The time for politics is over. We are talking about saving people’s lives here. North Carolina must follow the lead of successful governors like @GovRonDeSantis. Cut the red tape. Stop waiting on federal resources, allow private industry to assist with rescue and recovery efforts, and repair infrastructure immediately,” he wrote.“This is a life and death situation.”
According to The New Republic, several NC political leaders, like former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, condemned Robinson’s lack of support and called his tweet “inexcusable in a time of crisis.”
“This is not a time for criticism,” McCrory said. “This is a time for working together as a team and asking how you can help. I’m sure there are people who feel stranded out there, but right now is not the time to start throwing arrows.”
Robinson was seemingly being hypocritical in his words about politics being over. On Oct. 2, he continued his social media tirade, blamed the state’s Democratic leaders, including his opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, and claimed Cooper wasn’t paying attention to relief efforts. “When Hurricane Helene was on its way to North Carolina, Gov. Cooper was too busy hob-knowing with rich folks in New York to care about preparing for the storm,” Robinson wrote.
“Now Democrats like Cooper, Josh Stein & Joe Biden want to hide behind bureaucratic resolutions that pass automatically -– instead of getting out there and working to help people in dire need. I won’t stand for this. While they are playing politics, my team and I remain committed to doing all we can to help our neighbors in the wake of this devastating storm.”
Even without Robinson’s vote, President Joe Biden approved Cooper’s request for expedited federal support. Since the storm, guardsmen and other volunteers have delivered hundreds of water pallets and food. More than 1,100 people are staying at shelters.