‘Strong first step’; Governor Roy Cooper signs first Helene relief bill into law

RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — The governor has signed the first relief bill passed in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s historic devastation across North Carolina.

On Thursday, the governor’s office announced that Governor Roy Cooper signed HB 149 into law. The bill, which was unanimously passed through the North Carolina State Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, earmarks hundreds of millions for relief efforts in western North Carolina.

“Recovery for Western North Carolina will require unprecedented help from state and federal sources and this legislation is a strong first step. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage but also showed the resiliency of North Carolina’s people and its communities and we must continue the bipartisan work to help them build back strong.”

Lawmakers met in Raleigh on Wednesday to discuss what they will do to help along western North Carolina’s long road to recovery after Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina General Assembly unanimously passed a bill for hundreds of millions of dollars to go towards recovery efforts in the hurricane-ravaged western half of the state. This bill is just the start of relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene , and it will focus on the most immediate needs

In a release after the passage of the bill, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-District 111), “I’m proud of today’s bipartisan vote on the ‘Disaster Recovery Act of 2024’ legislation to provide much-needed relief to the victims of recent hurricanes. This bill ensures immediate financial aid and resources to help families rebuild their homes, businesses, and communities.

“This legislation is merely a first step, and we intend to do even more for Western North Carolina in the near future. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we remain committed to helping western NC rebuild.”

At a press conference held by Moore, he spoke of the devastation wrought by Helene.

“The recovery that is going to have to be done is going to be a Herculean task, but it is something we will get done,” Moore said, confirming that legislators will be back on Oct. 24 for another vote on additional relief.

According to Moore, this bill appropriates $273 million, including:

• $250 million to state agencies and local government for federal disaster aid
• $16 million for lost compensation for school nutrition programs
• $50 million for existing water sewer reserves
• $2 million to provide technical assistance for FEMA grants for affected counties
• $5 million to the State Board of Elections for voter outreach and communication in the affected areas
• Small business loans through Golden Leaf, reimbursed via FEMA
• Allowing absentee ballots to be returned to any county in the state
• Waiving DMV fees for people impacted

“Then we’ve also waived some certain environmental requirements that we need to get waived, like burning restrictions, wastewater treatment restrictions and road construction to get this process moving,” Moore said. “We don’t need the rebuilding, we don’t need these efforts tied up in bureaucracy and so we’re trying to streamline it, but there’s a lot to it.”

State Senator Phil Berger (R-District 26) also discussed the election changes legislators are making to accommodate North Carolinians impacted by the hurricane.

“The hurricane has dealt a serious blow to what may be the ability to vote in the impacted counties,” Berger said.

As a result, lawmakers aim to expand the accommodations created by the North Carolina State Board of Elections from 13 impacted counties to all 25 counties federally declared as impacted by Helene, including permission for state employees to serve as election workers without taking leave and establishing a hotline for western North Carolina voters to use to get vital information about election changes in their area.

You can read the full text of the bill below:

“This is by far the most devastating thing I’ve experienced,” State Senator Ralph Hise (R-District 47) said, emphasizing that this is a long-term effort. “I am excited to be here today to ask for the support of the state and the state of North Carolina is stepping up initially. We are here for the people of the West.”

Tim Moffitt (R-District 48) said, “The mountains will never be the same. We’ve often complained here in Raleigh as the mountain delegation that the mountains are often forgotten about, that we’re often overlooked and that the rest of the state tends to get to be the beneficiary of a lot of the efforts that, again, here in Raleigh, we’re different. We’re mountain folks. We’re tough. We’re resilient.

“And we’re uncomfortable in the spotlight, but it is needed when you wake up and there’s a total collapse of telecommunications, your power, your water, your sewer, your roads and your bridges. It is a very isolating event. This is something that is beyond description. And for those of you that have made the pilgrimage to see firsthand with boots on the ground what we’re going through, I thank you,” he said. “Up in the hills and the hollers, we’re still working with folks that are very tough, that still do not want to leave their homes, and it has yet to set in on them that they are cut off from a civilized world and we’re doing our best to get to them.”

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