Lawmakers expected to vote on $604 million for Western NC relief

Legislators are scheduled to vote on the Republican-authored Helene relief bill today. It comes a day after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper called for $3.9 billion.
Posted 10/24/2024, 4:31:00 PM Updated 10/25/2024, 4:49:09 PM

IF YOU CAN.

>> NEW THIS HOUR, A SECOND

ROUND OF RELIEF FUNDING FOR

VICTIMS OF HELENE IS ON ITS WAY

TO GOVERNOR ROY COOPER'S DESK.

STATE LAWMAKERS GAVE IT

UNANIMOUS APPROVAL, BUT SOME

SAID MORE HELP IS NEEDED MORE

QUICKLY. WRAL CAPITOL BUREAU

CHIEF LAURA LESLIE IS LIVE NOW

AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE

BUILDING WHERE THIS FINAL VOTE

HAPPENED JUST MOMENTS AGO.

LAW.

>> AND, YOU KNOW, STATE

LAWMAKERS WILL STATE OFFICIALS,

I SHOULD SAY, HAVE ESTIMATED

THE DAMAGE FROM HELENE AT

ROUGHLY 53 BILLION DOLLARS.

STATE LAWMAKERS ARE PROPOSING

TO COVER JUST A TINY FRACTION

OF THAT IN THE BILL THAT THEY

JUST SENT TO. THE GOVERNOR

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LAWMAKERS DISAGREE ON WHETHER

IT DOES ENOUGH.

>> THE PACKAGE IS A 604 MILLION

DOLLARS. THAT'S 85% LESS THAN

GOVERNOR ROY COOPER PROPOSED

YESTERDAY. NEARLY HALF OF IT IS

LOANS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE

PAID BACK. AT SOME POINT, THE

TOP ITEMS INCLUDE 100 MILLION

DOLLARS IN LOANS TO FIX WATER

AND SEWER SYSTEMS. 100 MILLION

DOLLARS FOR LOANS TO LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS TO HELP WITH CASH

FLOW AND 50 MILLION DOLLARS FOR

BRIDGE LOANS FOR SMALL

BUSINESSES. ASHEVILLE DEMOCRAT

JULIE MAYFIELD SAID LOANS ARE

NOT WHAT THEY NEED. AS FOR

BUSINESSES.

>> MANY CANNOT ABSORB NEW

LOANS. THEY NEED GRANTS.

WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE

ALLOCATING

270 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FARMERS

AFTER HURRICANE FLORENCE.

WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW FOR THE

BUSINESSES OF WESTERN NORTH

CAROLINA MITCHELL COUNTY

REPUBLICAN RALPH HISE SAID IT'S

ENOUGH FOR NOW. THERE WILL BE

FURTHER ROUNDS OF FUNDING LATER

WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE FIRST

BILL. AND THIS BILL IS MORE

THAN WE'VE DONE BEFORE.

>> FOR OTHER STORMS.

>> AND WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS

ON THE GREAT OTHER TOP FUNDING

ITEMS IN THE PACKAGE INCLUDES

50 MILLION DOLLARS TO REPAIR

DAMAGED SCHOOLS.

>> 50 MILLION TO HELP STATE AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COVER UNMET

NEEDS AND 30 MILLION DOLLARS

FOR TUITION HELP AND EMERGENCY

GRANTS TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

>> I REMEMBER YESTERDAY

GOVERNOR ROY COOPER IMPOSED A

3.9 BILLION DOLLAR RELIEF

PACKAGE OF GRANTS AND LOANS.

HE SAID THE RAPID INFUSION OF

STATE DOLLARS WOULD HELP TO

JUMP-START RECOVERY BECAUSE

FEDERAL AID CAN TAKE MONTHS

OR YEARS. BUT STATE LAWMAKERS

HERE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER SAID

THAT WOULD BE TOO MUCH MONEY

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