Senate to review $500 million Hurricane Helene relief bill

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Senate passed HB 47 on its first reading Wednesday, a largely procedural step as lawmakers consider how to approach the $500 million Hurricane Helene relief bill.

"We were pretty much aware of what (the House was) working with because we're working behind the scenes with them. So we're very pleased with their effort and we're working with them on some tweaks that we're going to make on it over here," said Sen. Timothy Moffitt, a Republican who represents Henderson, Polk, and Rutherford counties.

The House version includes $150 million to the Department of Agriculture to be split across the Crop Loss Program, as well as other aid toward farmers, including restoration projects. There's also $140 million for the Home Reconstruction and Repair Project, and $100 million for private road and bridge repair and replacement. Further, money is set aside for the small business infrastructure grant program, debris removal, grants for volunteer organizations helping with disaster response, repairs to fire stations and their vehicles, supplemental rental assistance, and targeted media campaigns and grants for local tourism offices.

"We thrive on people who want to come visit us. If we don't have businesses and we don't have workers, then we are not going to recover in the way that we should and as fast as we should. What we need from the Legislature is money to help our businesses reopen," said Sen. Julie Mayfield, a Democrat who represents Buncombe County.

Mayfield was specifically pleased with two pieces of the legislation, namely making loans for local government forgivable, and $15 million to Golden L.E.A.F. toward small business grants.

"Small businesses are the backbone of western North Carolina, and we need to continue to get relief to them," said Matt Raker, the Executive Director of Mountain BizWorks, which is based in Asheville.

Sam Stites, the Living Wage Program Coordinator for Just Economics, added: "It's a matter of survival for both businesses and their workers. And if they're going to be able to stay in the region, the overlap between the common interests and the common struggles of small businesses and their workers could never be greater than after this storm."

Helene struck in late September, in the midst of one of the busiest seasons for the region. As it prepares for spring, there's an emphasis in securing funding as quickly as possible.

"It's been five months since the storm. The concern is absolute for the businesses that have already closed, for the workers who are already unemployed or have been evicted or have been forced to move out of the region and won't come back," said Stites.

The funding cannot come quickly enough.

"Folks had the direct impacts of all the costs from rebuilding and dealing with water outages and power outages and all that. And then, we had no business," Raker said. "They lost their busiest season of the year. Some of the latest numbers said the tourism side was down 70% in the fourth quarter. And we're still down and trying to hit the spring.

Despite a 116-0 vote in the House, some lawmakers voiced wishes to see more expansive aid during floor debate, a sentiment echoed by Mayfield.

"I wish that we were talking about the governor's billion-dollar proposal, but we're not, so we'll take what we have. I am hearing that there is essentially the $500 million cap that we're not going to go over that, and that anything additional that we might want, we'll need to wait for the big budget," said Mayfield.

Wednesday, the House passed HB 48 on its third reading, a measure that would expand the maximum weekly unemployment benefit by $100, from $350 to $450.

"During the disaster period, which ends March 1, (then-) Gov. (Roy) Cooper instated a $600 cap up from $350. So starting March 1, that increase to $450 will to people receiving the unemployment insurance really feels like $150 decrease," Stites said.

Mayfield said the extra money will make a difference, but said he feels the state can do more in that regard.

"We have more (unemployment insurance) money than almost every (other state), and we provide worse benefits than almost every other state in the country. We need to bring those two things together a little bit and just do better by our workers," Mayfield said.

Officials estimate the state suffered nearly $60 billion in damages as a result of Hurricane Helene, as lawmakers determine how to best address the scale of need.

"When you have businesses that were completely removed by floodwaters, not only their building but the ground under their building, what role does government have in helping them stand back up? Well, we think we have a role. We think it's important to help these communities resurrect their economies, because that's what makes everything else in the community work. But what does that look like, and to what extent can we fund it? To what extent can we get federal money to help us with that? That's all in the works right now," said Moffitt.

Last week, Gov. Josh Stein met with North Carolina Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis in Washington, D.C., as he formally requested $19 billion in federal funding.

"We need the North Carolina General Assembly to take care of North Carolina. We needed it five months ago and we certainly need it today," said Stites.

HB 47 would be the fourth round of funding approved by the General Assembly.

"There's probably not a member of the western delegation that was not impacted one way or the other by this storm. Our neighbors are impacted. Our friends are impacted. So we live it every day. When we come to Raleigh, it's first and foremost on our mind. When we get here and as we're working our way to the mountains, it's always there," said Moffitt.