The consensus appears to be that Beaufort County suffers from the absence of a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Washington Police Chief Mick Reed said there is a “desperate need” for domestic violence services in Beaufort County.

Diana Lucas, executive director of the Greenville-based Center for Family Violence Prevention, said her board’s goal is to help Beaufort County open its own shelter.

Even state Rep. Bill Cook, R-Beaufort, has weighed in on the issue, stating “In Beaufort County currently, we do not have a shelter for battered women, which is an abomination.”

Cook has taken action by sponsoring House Bill 757, a measure that would place more control over domestic violence programs into the hands of county commissioners.

We agree that the need for a shelter is real and while we believe Cook’s intentions are principled, House Bill 757 amounts to killing an ant with a sledgehammer.

County commissioners currently have the power to create a shelter in Beaufort County without the actions of the General Assembly.

The Center for Family Violence Prevention, which supports domestic violence victims in Pitt, Martin, Beaufort and Washington counties, is working to open shelters in Martin and Washington counties.

In search of a commitment of local matching money, Lucas spoke with Beaufort County commissioners last year and recently requested a meeting with outgoing County Manager Paul Spruill.

Cook’s bill would do little more than change the way money is doled out, shifting the politics from Raleigh to Washington.

It would force change onto all 100 counties to resolve an issue that could be rectified locally.