RALEY, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican lawmakers announced their first attempt of the year on Wednesday, trying to boost recovery funds Hurricane Helens Historic floods, propose new spending that totals less than half of what Josh Stein of the New Democratic Government Request this week.
The House committee did not vote for the $500 million spending proposal. Request $1.07 billion on Monday In new recovery spending.
Last fall, the state legislature was well over $900 million for relief and reconstruction efforts. The hundreds of millions of dollars of extra dollars previously allocated for relief purposes will help pay for packages from Stein and House Republicans.
Rather than waiting until the traditional state government budget, which will take effect on July 1, the GOP legislative leader and Stein enacted a funding bill early in the general assembly – Priority. Stein and lawmakers are seeking more recovery funds this year.
“We know that no matter how much we spend, it’s not enough,” says Rep. John Bell, co-chairman of the House Helen Recovery Committee, to his colleagues. I talked. “But this is the starting point and can be followed by multiple bills.”
Competing proposals include $150 million for both of them kickstarting home reconstruction and repair programs in the mountains while awaiting federal funds for the same purpose. And they both include money to help farmers, albeit at varying amounts, to rebuild private roads and bridges.
North Carolina officials reported that more than 100 deaths have died in Helen over 74,000 homes and thousands of miles on both roads maintained in the state and private roads. State officials predicted the storm in late September caused a record $59.6 billion in damages and a recovery need. Congressional law and other federal lawsuits approved in December are projected to provide more than $15 billion to North Carolina for reconstruction.
Bell told reporters that the $500 million figure could rise as Senate counterparts later become involved in negotiations. However, he said the House will act strategically to maximize federal matching funds and ensure that the state does not repeat errors from previous hurricane recovery efforts.
Bell cited a program developed in the previous administration of Governor Roy Cooper to rebuild the home after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. The program still needs $217 million To close the construction of more than 1,100 homes in eastern North Carolina.
Co-chairs of Avery County Dudley Greene Commission, who suffered property from Helen, are sure to know what funds will be available and how they will be distributed in western North Carolina for repairs. He said not.
“Hopefully this is the first step to try to mitigate some of that confusion,” Green said.
The consensus plan raises an early test of his relationship with Stein with Republican lawmakers who control Congress but lack a majority of veto power after the November election.
The House Committee was scheduled to consider an amendment to make floor voting soon next week. Senate Republicans introduced their own placeholder disaster relief bill on Wednesday.
The House bill will fully Stein $150 million for two business grant programs designed to provide up to $75,000 to businesses suffering significant revenue and financial losses and physical damage. The request for this is omitted.
Many Republicans have previously expressed their reservations about the state providing grants directly to businesses rather than loans. Bell told reporters that the grant program could emerge later in the claims process.
The house package also includes Stein’s $100 million request to compensate mountain local governments to provide summer schools to public school districts that lost at least 15 educational days shortly after Helen’s rampage. , not including a $34 million appeal.
Stein said this week that funds are now needed to prevent more businesses from closing, building homes late and students from becoming academically behind.
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