RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled their initial attempt this year to boost recovery funding for Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding, proposing new spending that totals less than half of what new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein requested this week.
A House committee reviewed but did not vote on the $500 million spending proposal, which would include money for some of the programs Stein sought funding for in his request Monday for $1.07 billion in new recovery spending.
Last fall, the state legislature appropriated well over $900 million for relief and rebuilding efforts. A couple of hundred million additional dollars previously earmarked for relief purposes would help pay for the packages from Stein and House Republicans.
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GOP legislative leaders and Stein have made enacting a funding bill early in the General Assembly session — rather than waiting until the traditional state government budget that takes effect July 1 gets negotiated — a top priority. Stein and lawmakers will seek more recovery funds this year.
“We know that no matter what appropriation we’re able to do, it’s never going to be enough,” Rep. John Bell of Wayne County, a co-chair of the House Helene recovery committee, told colleagues. “But this is a starting point, with multiple bills after this to follow.”
The competing proposals both include $150 million to kickstart a home reconstruction and repair program in the mountains while they await federal funds for the same purpose to aririve. And they both contain money — albeit in different amounts — to help farmers and to rebuild private roads and bridges.
North Carolina state officials reported over 100 deaths from Helene with 74,000 homes and thousands of miles in both state-maintained and private roads damaged. State officials projected the late September storm caused a record $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Congressional legislation approved in December and other federal actions are projected to provide over $15 billion to North Carolina for rebuilding.
Bell told reporters that the $500 million figure could rise as Senate counterparts get involved in negotiations later. But he said the House would act strategically to maximize federal matching funds and to ensure the state doesn’t repeat errors from previous hurricane recovery efforts.
Bell cited the program developed in the preceding administration of Gov. Roy Cooper to rebuild homes after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. The program still needs $217 million to finish construction on more than 1,100 eastern North Carolina homes.
Committee co-chair Rep. Dudley Greene of Avery County, who suffered property damage from Helene, said that western North Carolina still doesn’t know for sure what money will be made available for repairs and how it will be distributed.
“Hopefully, this is a first step in trying to alleviate some of that confusion,” Greene said.
Creating a consensus plan will pose an early test of Stein’s relationship with Republican lawmakers, who control the legislature but narrowly lack a veto-proof majority following the November elections.
The House committee was expected to consider amendments next week, with a floor vote soon after. Senate Republicans filed their own placeholder disaster relief bill on Wednesday.
The House bill omits entirely Stein’s request for $150 million for two business grant programs designed to provide up to $75,000 to companies that suffered significant sales and economic losses and or physical damages.
Many Republicans previously have expressed reservations about the state providing direct grants to businesses, rather than loans. Bell told reporters that a grant program could surface later in the bill process.
The House package also does not contain Stein’s $100 million request to recompense local governments in the mountains for lost or spent revenues nor his $34 million appeal to provide summer school in public school districts that lost at least 15 instructional days shortly after Helene’s rampage.
Stein said this week that funds are needed now to prevent more business closings, housing construction delays and students falling behind academically.
