5 things you need to know about the North Carolina GOP’s efforts to throw Democrats out of power.

A bill to significantly limit the powers of North Carolina’s governor could further reduce the power of new Democrats, including Gov.-elect Josh Stein, before they even take office.

A bill passed by the state Legislature would direct some funding to disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Helen, but would also limit the powers of offices that will be controlled by Democrats in the new year. Time is of the essence as the current GOP supermajority in the Legislature will be dissolved in January.

Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is almost certain to veto the bill, raising questions about whether the GOP supermajority will overturn his move. But that doesn’t seem to be a sure thing, as the bill has also drawn some opposition from Republicans.

Here are five things you need to know about the law:

What does the bill say?

The main point of the law is the provision third round of relief for those parts of western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helen in late September. Storm caused record damage in the state, valued at more than $50 billion, and killed more than 100 people.

The bill allocates $227 million from the state’s savings reserve to the hurricane relief fund, but that is significantly less than the first two rounds and also touches on several other aspects of the law unrelated to hurricane relief.

But critics say the aid is a smokescreen for the bill’s true purpose, which is to undermine the powers of the state’s top executive.

The most notable change is the removal of additional powers from the Governor’s Office along with the Attorney General’s Office. The Legislative Assembly has already limited the power of the governor earlier this year over its powers to make appointments.

This bill would now remove the governor’s ability to appoint members of the state election commission and delegate it to the state auditor. It would also limit the attorney general’s authority, especially when litigating out-of-state lawsuits, by preventing the office from taking positions that conflict with any law passed by the state Legislature.

It would also reduce the amount of time to count absentee ballots, eliminate the requirement that absentee ballots received before an election be counted on Election Day and eliminate the state superintendent’s ability to appeal decisions of the Charter School Oversight Board, among other initiatives.

What is its status?

The bill easily passed both houses of the state Legislature with a majority vote along party lines. It passed by a vote of 63 to 46. in the State House on Tuesday and the vote is 30-19. in the State Senate on Wednesday and now awaits a decision from the governor’s office.

The Senate vote was completely split between parties, but three House Republicans, all from western North Carolina, broke ranks and voted against the bill. Those three votes and a few absences could be critical in determining whether the bill becomes law.

Cooper opposes the bill. reportedly blaming lawmakers about attempts to use “financial crumbs to cover large-scale power grabs.” But one obstacle to Cooper’s ability to veto the bill is that he was out of state Wednesday to file a request in Washington, D.C., for federal aid to help with hurricane recovery.

When the governor is out of state, the lieutenant governor acts as governor until his return. In this case, it’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, who lost his bid for governor earlier this month.

But it is unclear whether Robinson, as acting governor, has the authority to sign legislation while the governor is out of state.

Why are Republicans insisting on this?

Critics say the bill is a thinly veiled attempt by the state GOP to wrest more control from the new Democratic government before it takes office in January.

Although Democrats have held the governorship with Cooper for the past eight years, his agenda has been significantly limited due to Republican majority control of the Legislature.

Three-fifths of the Legislature must vote to override a veto for it to succeed, and the GOP currently has exactly what it needs by a razor-thin margin if the vote passes along party lines. But Democrats made several gains on Election Day, including Stein’s victory in the gubernatorial election.

They also won a seat in the state House of Representatives, overcoming the Republican Party’s supermajority. Democratic Representative Jeff Jackson (North Carolina) won the election for attorney general, and Democrat Moe Green won the election for state superintendent.

Meanwhile, Republican Dave Bolick became the first member of his party to win the state auditor’s award in more than a decade.

The legislation would, in part, take power away from positions Democrats are running to fill and give it to new Republican officials.

Focus switches to Robinson

The drama surrounding the bill has brought renewed attention to Robinson, who lost to Stein in the gubernatorial race in November amid growing scandals over his past rhetoric and online activities.

The question for Robinson, who is currently the state’s No. 2 official, is whether he can and will sign the GOP-passed bill, assuming Cooper is still out of state.

Reporters from Raleigh-based NBC affiliate WRAL reported that Robinson said he does not plan to sign the bill. This decision will avoid a contentious battle that could end in litigation.

If Robinson doesn’t try to sign it and Cooper is able to veto it upon his return, then attention will return to the Legislature to see if Republicans have the votes to override it. But the three who voted against will likely have to switch to support for the override to have a chance.

What are Republicans and Democrats saying?

GOP supporters of the legislation say it will provide needed relief to communities in western North Carolina hit hard by the storm. They also noted that more than $900 million in relief funds have already been allocated in response to criticism that the bill does not provide enough funds for those in need.

State Senator Ralph Hise (R), the Senate’s lieutenant president pro tempore, has argued that only Congress can cover the total costs needed to fully provide disaster relief, and reportedly says he is asking them to take it on and “prioritize state restoration“

He also said changes in election legislation are intended to “ensure a more timely resolution of election results.”

Democrats accused Republicans of playing politics with the funding and using it as cover for an attempt to grab more power.

“It would be easy to separate the Hurricane Helen portions of this bill from the rest of the bill, which is purely partisan against the pillars of our democracy,” said state Sen. Julie Mayfield. according to NC Newsline. “But that’s not the decision that was made.”

State Sen. Mary Wills Bode reportedly said Republicans were trying to harm “the other team’s players in the final minutes of a game they knew they were going to lose.”

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, head to The Hill.