Disaster and Park Funding in COVID-19 Relief Bill

North Carolina Legislative Building. Photo: Mark Hipes

Raleigh – The North Carolina General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a new coronavirus relief package that also includes hurricane, hurricane and earthquake assistance.

In a short two-day session, the legislature on Thursday passed the 52-page bill with wide margins in both houses, and the Senate first approved by a vote of 44 to 5, then the House of Representatives approved the bill 10-104.

The bill includes $ 335 checks for families with children, a $ 50 per week increase in unemployment benefits and more money for broadband expansion, healthcare supplies, food banks, schools and universities.

The bill also includes $ 44.5 million for disaster relief, most of which is government matches for federal aid for those affected by recent typhoons, in addition to $ 24 million to help communities in Al-Afghani province affected by the recent earthquake.

An additional $ 750,000 has been earmarked to be used in the state match to help communities affected by the deadly hurricane in Bertie County caused by Hurricane Issaias.

“None of us have ever had a health crisis quite like this,” Rep. Donny Lambeth, R Forsyth, one of the bill’s principal authors, said Thursday during the public debate. “Some lost loved ones, others were separated from their families, and others lost their jobs. However, we are a country that has faced difficulties before, from hurricanes, fires, droughts, earthquakes and hurricanes, and every time we come back stronger. This time we will do it again, more tenacious and stronger than ever.” We will not be let down by this epidemic. “

Despite the imbalanced vote, the way the bill was compiled drew a sharp rebuke from Democrats, who said they were disconnected from negotiations in another opaque process that resulted in the cancellation of open hearings and limited public participation.

Disaster funds included in the bill include:

$ 27,796,610 for the state match for Hurricane Florence’s federal aid programs. $ 13,203,390 state matches for federal disaster assistance programs related to Hurricane Matthew. $ 2,779,661 for a state match for federal disaster assistance programs related to Hurricane Dorian. $ 3.5 million for the state’s match for federal disaster aid programs related to Hurricane Isaias. $ 300,000 to provide a grant to Bladinboro to demolish and rebuild the city and to repair public infrastructure and public buildings damaged in Hurricane Florence.

The bill would also allow $ 750,000 for direct government assistance to Bertie, Chuan, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton and Washington counties to help recover from a powerful hurricane that struck near Windsor during Hurricane Issaias, killing two people, wounding scores and inflicting many damage. Role.

Parks and aquariums get a boost

The Legislative Council also approved $ 19.7 million in state funds to the Ministry of Natural and Cultural Resources for state parks and tourist attractions and support for non-profit organizations, with $ 2.1 million allocated to building walkways, increasing walkway maintenance, and safety and health maintenance needs for walkways and other park facilities that They were used extensively as North Carolina residents took to the outdoors during the pandemic.

Supporting organizations funds include:

$ 1.5 million to the North Carolina Aquarium Society. $ 1 million for the North Carolina Museum of History Foundation to support the North Carolina Museum of History, the Atlantic Museum Cemetery, the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center, the Albemarle Museum, the Cape Fear Museum, North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Southport. Million Dollars for Roanoke Island Historical Society. $ 1 million to the Tryon Palace Foundation. $ 300,000 to Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The General Assembly was officially postponed for Friday, and lawmakers are not scheduled to return until a new legislature takes the oath of office on January 13, 2021.

However, the departure came with a warning, as there is still a chance that Congress will approve an additional federal easing of the Coronavirus this year. If this happens and requires an action from the General Assembly to allocate it, the state constitution permits the governor to call the legislature into session.

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