North Carolina lawmakers’ newest relief package for Hurricane Helene is expected to make it through the state House this week. But questions abound on what will happen across the Legislative Building in the Senate — and whether any of Gov. Josh Stein’s additional requests make it into the final product.
House Bill 47 — lawmakers’ third substantive aid bill since the storm — will be heard before the House Rules committee on Monday. Debate and a vote before the full chamber are expected in the days to follow.
The half-billion-dollar spending package includes $150 million for a new homebuilding program in western North Carolina, $150 million for agricultural relief and $100 million to repair private roads and bridges.
House Republicans have moved the aid bill swiftly, making some changes to line-items while keeping the amount of total spending unchanged. But when asked about how the other chamber would approach the issue, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) kept details sparse.
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) mingles on the Senate floor ahead of the legislative session’s opening day on Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)“We’ve got some members that have been talking with some members of the House,” Berger told reporters last week. “Obviously, once the bill gets here, we’ll take a look at it, figure out what we need to do. I don’t want to pre-judge any particular part of it.”
Senators have introduced a relief bill of their own; it’s effectively a shell bill, with no line-items and no public airing thus far. But Berger didn’t rule out taking up that bill, rather than the House’s.
“I don’t know that we’re going to move that bill, or we’ll take up the House bill,” Berger said. “We’ll figure that out.”
Democrats — including the governor — are continuing to push for additional spending. Stein, who originally requested $1 billion, said the bill was a “step in the right direction, but not all that I think is needed right now.”
“There are some provisions I had about making sure our kids don’t have learning loss from missed instructional time, working to help small businesses, that are not in the legislation currently,” Stein told NC Newsline last week. “So, I’m going to keep pushing the House and the Senate to do what I think is right for the people of North Carolina.”
Republicans have opted thus far to include loan programs for businesses, rather than grants. Business leaders have said both types of programs would be key in reviving western North Carolina’s economy.
Stein has attempted to pool resources for grants on his own, partnering his office with the private sector to assist businesses.
Still, GOP lawmakers in recent days have signaled they are growing more open to the possibility of grants. Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) said last week that Republicans in both chambers had conversations about the issue. The key obstacle, he said, was making sure they don’t cast too wide a net for applicants.
Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) (Photo: ncleg.gov)“If we go that route, we want to be able to help the small business owners — not the Walmart or the Family Dollars or the large corporations,” Bell said.
Even if money for grants isn’t added in the House, Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) believes some members are open to make existing loans forgivable.
“There are some of my Senate Republican colleagues who are working on a forgivable loan program,” Mayfield told reporters last week. “That will maybe be incorporated into the House bill when it gets over here, or maybe we’ll run it separately, somehow.”
House advancing unemployment payment hike
Lawmakers in the House are also set to advance a bill increasing North Carolina’s weekly unemployment payments.
House Bill 48 would increase weekly payouts from a maximum of $350 to $450. An original increase of $50 was bumped to $100 after a Democratic amendment earned bipartisan support.
It will also be heard before the Rules committee on Monday afternoon.
Berger told reporters that “we probably need to raise” the weekly payment, but didn’t commit to how much. The bill’s House sponsor had indicated last week that she had originally been in favor of a higher amount before having discussions with the Senate.
“We need to make it more livable for people who lose their jobs,” Stein said when asked about the bill last week. “So, I welcome the House’s recognition that we need to bump the amount of the weekly benefit.”
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