Latest news with #NorthCarolinaGeneralAssembly
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why NC Helene funding bill could be stalled in General Assembly
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — More than $450 million in Helene relief funding could be held up in the North Carolina General Assembly if Senators decide to incorporate it in the budget instead of passing it as a separate bill. House members passed the $464 million relief measure as a standalone bill on Thursday, meaning it could just go on to the Senate, be passed, and then immediately head to the Governor's desk. But top Senators may negotiate the funding as part of the overall budget instead. Those negotiations can take weeks, meaning the funding could be stalled. 'However they decide to do it, we just need to get it done. We don't know what's going to happen with federal support and we just need to get those resources to the people of western North Carolina,' said Senator Natalie Murdock. Top Representatives say they're hopeful negotiations on the budget will go smoothly with the Senate. 'As in the past, there will be a give or take on certain areas, areas that are priorities for each of the chambers, so you know in order to get anything done in here especially a budget with so much in it, you have to compromise on each side,' Representative Destin Hall said. But some Senate Democrats are less optimistic and say the Helene funding shouldn't be caught in the crossfire. 'I think it should be a separate bill since it looks like the budget is more controversial than maybe any of us would've wanted it to be,' Senator Julie Mayfield said. Lawmakers won't be back in Raleigh until the first week of June to start those negotiations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mattie's Law: Family of lineman who died in Eden demands stronger safety with proposed bill
EDEN, N.C. (WGHP) — It's been nearly a month since four linemen were hit and killed by a dump truck in Eden. Now, one of the families who lost a loved one is pushing for change. Jason Lockwood and Robert Russell returned to the site on the 500 block of Church Street in Eden to remember their friend and brother, Matthew Lockwood, along with four other linemen who died in a crash on April 24. 'It's an emotional reminder that, unfortunately, my brother is not going to be home at the end of the day. But at the same time, it's kind of good to be back to make sure the site is at least maintained,' Jason said. Jason said his brother was a Marine who taught him to never give up. 'He probably absorbed that lesson the greatest out of all of us and followed that through the rest of his life … Me and Robert got to talking and said his death can't be for nothing,' Jason said. Which is exactly what inspired Jason and Russell to write up a safety bill called Mattie's Law, which is named after Matthew, to protect roadside workers across the state. I includes mandatory safety barriers and shadow vehicles in dangerous zones as well as proximity alert wearables and smart detection technology. 'We have it for our new smart cars for when we're about to collide into something or going too fast,' Russell said. The bill would also add immediate support for the families of injured or fallen workers and tougher penalties for reckless drivers. It comes after the city of Eden leaders revealed that 66-year-old Michael Vernon, who is accused of hitting and killing the four linemen, did not have a valid commercial driver's license. 'If you don't have a license, you shouldn't have been involved in this at all. You shouldn't have been able to kill anyone. You should've been held accountable as a gross aggravating factor, which is how we go from a misdemeanor directly to a felony,' Russell said. Right now, a draft of Mattie's Law has gained support through an online petition that already has more than 3,000 signatures. To prevent more tragedies involving roadside workers like Matthew, Jason hopes state lawmakers will take swift action and discuss the safety bill in the North Carolina General Assembly. 'I have personally been reaching out to many lawmakers. I have had some interest. I'm hopeful, with later revisions, we can get this thing out there and prevent things like this from happening again,' Jason said. Jason will not share which lawmakers are in support of the bill until he receives formal support. Meanwhile, Vernon is facing four counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer. More than 100 people died as Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, destroying homes , businesses and roadways . The storm's record-breaking devastation totaled $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Recovery has been slow in parts of the region as some hard-hit mountain towns still appear ravaged by the storm nearly eight months later. Navigating Helene recovery is one of the chief issues Stein has been tasked with handling upon his first few months in office. Some of the first actions his administration took focused on rehabilitating the western part of the state, as well as establishing the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. 'This recovery is going to take a long time,' Stein said Monday. 'My administration, though, is in this for the long haul. I know that the legislature is as well.' In March, state lawmakers passed another Helene relief bill for $524 million — significantly less than the $1.07 billion Stein had requested the month before. That package added to more than $1.1 billion in Helene recovery activities appropriated or made available by the General Assembly the year prior, according to Stein's office. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved a $1.4 billion grant that would facilitate western North Carolina's long-term recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the federal organization responsible for addressing some of the immediate needs in Helene's aftermath — has also provided more than $700 million to state and local governments, as well as directly to North Carolinians. Talks over FEMA's effectiveness have ushered western North Carolina's recovery process into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has suggested the agency's dissolution . As a candidate, Trump continually disparaged the agency's work in the region, which garnered support from those frustrated with a sometimes slow and complicated recovery process . Just last week, the agency's acting chief David Richardson announced plans to shift disaster recovery responsibilities to states for the upcoming hurricane season. Stein has called on the federal government to reform the agency but not to get rid of it, which he reiterated during his budget proposal announcement Monday. More than a quarter of Stein's proposal would go toward restoring local economies and their tourism industries. Another quarter would fund infrastructure repairs, debris cleanup and resiliency projects to better protect the region from future storms. Other allocations include addressing recovery needs such as housing assistance, fixing waterways and farmlands , and food insecurity. The state Senate has already approved its budget proposal and now awaits the House to release its plan this week. Then, state lawmakers can decide whether to incorporate some of Stein's requests on Helene aid as the two chambers work out differences, with the goal of having a final budget enacted by July 1.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer. More than 100 people died as Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, destroying homes, businesses and roadways. The storm's record-breaking devastation totaled $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Recovery has been slow in parts of the region as some hard-hit mountain towns still appear ravaged by the storm nearly eight months later. Navigating Helene recovery is one of the chief issues Stein has been tasked with handling upon his first few months in office. Some of the first actions his administration took focused on rehabilitating the western part of the state, as well as establishing the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. 'This recovery is going to take a long time,' Stein said Monday. 'My administration, though, is in this for the long haul. I know that the legislature is as well.' In March, state lawmakers passed another Helene relief bill for $524 million — significantly less than the $1.07 billion Stein had requested the month before. That package added to more than $1.1 billion in Helene recovery activities appropriated or made available by the General Assembly the year prior, according to Stein's office. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved a $1.4 billion grant that would facilitate western North Carolina's long-term recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the federal organization responsible for addressing some of the immediate needs in Helene's aftermath — has also provided more than $700 million to state and local governments, as well as directly to North Carolinians. Talks over FEMA's effectiveness have ushered western North Carolina's recovery process into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has suggested the agency's dissolution. As a candidate, Trump continually disparaged the agency's work in the region, which garnered support from those frustrated with a sometimes slow and complicated recovery process. Just last week, the agency's acting chief David Richardson announced plans to shift disaster recovery responsibilities to states for the upcoming hurricane season. Stein has called on the federal government to reform the agency but not to get rid of it, which he reiterated during his budget proposal announcement Monday. More than a quarter of Stein's proposal would go toward restoring local economies and their tourism industries. Another quarter would fund infrastructure repairs, debris cleanup and resiliency projects to better protect the region from future storms. Other allocations include addressing recovery needs such as housing assistance, fixing waterways and farmlands, and food insecurity. The state Senate has already approved its budget proposal and now awaits the House to release its plan this week. Then, state lawmakers can decide whether to incorporate some of Stein's requests on Helene aid as the two chambers work out differences, with the goal of having a final budget enacted by July 1.
Toronto Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer.
