Liquidation of the consequences of the hurricane North Carolina lawmakers approve another $604 million for Helen’s recovery order more voting sites

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina state legislators have signed on measure On Thursday, it allocated an additional $604 million for recovery and relief efforts after Hurricane Helen and ordered some storm-ravaged counties to open more polling places to deal with crowds and congestion during early voting.

In a one-day session, the Republican-controlled Legislature unveiled and approved two measures related to the catastrophic flooding and damage that state officials say has led to 97 deaths. Democratic This was announced on Wednesday by the administration of Governor Roy Cooper that Helen likely caused at least a record $53 billion in damage and recovery needs in western North Carolina.

NOTE. The video is taken from a previous report.

“As North Carolina continues to recover from the devastation caused by Helen, the North Carolina House of Representatives remains committed to ensuring that the people of western North Carolina have what they need to rebuild and rebuild,” said House Speaker Tim Moore, D-Cleveland. “We stand with our neighbors and will see this recovery through.”

Governor Roy Cooper signed the bill into law.

Two weeks ago, the General Assembly approved what was described as a preliminary $273 million relief package, and legislative leaders promised much more would come in the coming months. The initial cash assistance was designed mostly to meet the state’s matching share of federal requirements assistance in case of natural disasters programs.

On Wednesday, Cooper proposed his own massive request for $3.9 billion in storm aid and mitigation, with more than $1 billion in grants to businesses, farmers and utilities alone. Thursday’s relief bill does not address most of his recommendations. GOP leaders said they had just received the governor’s proposal earlier this week and would take a closer look at it in the coming weeks. The Legislature returns for additional work on November 19.

“The assessment of what needs to be done is still ongoing,” Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters. “What we’ve done is we’ve deployed enough resources at this point to deal with some of the more urgent things that have some time sensitivity.”

The unanimously approved spending measure takes another $604 million from the state’s nearly $4.5 billion “rainy day” savings reserve and moves it to the Helene relief fund. Lawmakers also found $77 million from other funds and reserves for other articles.

The relief bill now before Cooper includes $50 million in loans to small businesses in affected areas, $100 million in loans to local governments for emergency repairs to water and sewer systems, and another $5 million to satisfy mental health needs of public school students and their families. in the region.

The state also found other funds to provide scholarships for college students affected by the storm, including aid for students enrolled in the spring semester at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Some Democrats in the mountainous area said that the aid was not effective enough and demanded help as soon as possible. Already debt-burdened businesses now need grants to survive, said Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe County. Mayfield said an eviction moratorium or massive rental assistance is also needed to prevent workers from losing their housing, forcing them to leave the area.

“Speed ​​matters,” Mayfield said, her voice shaking with emotion. “The people and the economy of our region hang by a thread at this moment – this moment – not in November, not in December, not next year, but now.”

But Republican Sen. Ralph Guice of Mitchell County, like Bancom, one of the hardest-hit districts, said the Legislature is getting more money for hurricane response than lawmakers have done for previous storms. Gice said the damage is so extensive that it will take more than the state government to complete the reconstruction. Key players will be the federal government, nonprofits and churches, he said.

“There’s a lot of fear about what’s going to happen in the future, and how do we stop it right now,” Heiss said. “But first we must address our immediate needs.”

The overwhelmingly approved voting measure directs election boards in 13 mountain counties to ensure as soon as possible that one early in-person voting location is available for every 30,000 registered voters in each county.

The directive is expected to affect only Henderson and McDowell counties, according to lawmakers and the State Election Commission. Early voting began Oct. 17, with Henderson and McDowell, both Republican supporters, opening only one polling place each.

Another location in McDowell County did not open due to hurricane damage. Henderson County officials announced before the law that a second site would open for several days next week.

With the passage of the bill, which would become law without Cooper because it affects a small number of counties, Henderson County would have four precincts, said Sen. Tim Moffitt, a Henderson County Republican.

On the opening day of early voting in Henderson County, officials closed lanes on a major thoroughfare to ease traffic while golf carts shuttled voters from an auto parts store to the only polling place. But some House Democrats have questioned the feasibility of adding early voting precincts in Henderson, since the county’s Board of Elections previously decided, before Helen, to have just one this fall.

Nearly 1.89 million people across the state had voted in person by Wednesday, according to the State Election Commission, or 126,000 more than at the same time in 2020. Early personal voting continues until November 2. Republicans have emphasized early voting this fall compared to previous election cycles.

The Associated Press contributed.