U.S. Senate Passes Bill That Includes $1.7 Billion In Florence Relief

The U.S. Senate has voted to allocate new disaster relief funding for states in the path of Hurricane Florence.

The measure was inserted into a larger aviation funding bill that has passed the Senate Wednesday.

Lawmakers say the $1.7 billion dollar fund is meant as a down payment to help people in the Carolinas and elsewhere pay to rebuild their communities. They also say they expect additional financial help will probably be needed.

Meanwhile, in a rare show of bipartisanship, the North Carolina legislature quickly approved legislation Tuesday that will begin what's expected to be a long, expensive recovery from Florence.

Barely two weeks after the storm's last rains left the state, the Republican-controlled General Assembly unanimously backed a pair of bills in a special session called by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who was expected to sign them.

More than 30 inches of rain fell in some parts of the state, and along with the storm surge, caused historic widespread flooding that damaged tens of thousands of homes and other buildings. Authorities have confirmed 39 storm-related deaths. The damage is estimated to reach billions of dollars, including at least $1.1 billion in crop and livestock losses.

Nearly two years of rancor between the executive and legislative branches have led to a record number of vetoes and overrides and extensive litigation. But Cooper and legislative leaders have found likely temporary amity and teamwork in the face of Florence.

"The cooperation that I've seen has also been unprecedented and we need to keep that spirit of cooperation all together as we approach the short- and long-term recovery from this storm," Cooper told the Council of State shortly before the session convened. His office and GOP legislators had conferred on Tuesday's legislation before leaders gaveled open the session.

One bill would take from the state's $2 billion reserve about $57 million, most of which could be used to provide the state's match to federal disaster assistance programs.

"The people in southeastern North Carolina need this bill. They need every dime that's been allocated in this bill," said Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican during floor debate. Britt is a National Guard member who had a high-profile role in his region's storm response.

The bill also extends traditional voter registration by three days to give some more time to displaced residents. Another piece of legislation will ease public school calendar rules so schools in nearly 30 eastern counties hardest hit by Florence could be forgiven up to 20 instructional days and still meet requirements in state law. Schools in other areas would get a smaller break.

Eight school districts instructing more than 100,000 students still have yet to return to classes since before Florence's landfall as a hurricane Sept. 14, Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson said. Some will never go back to their classrooms — two Jones County schools inundated by floodwaters will have to be demolished.

"There is an incredible amount of uncertainty in our lives," said Sen. Michael Lee, a Republican from Wilmington, where school will resume later this week. He said the school legislation, which also makes clear employees will get paid without using persona leave when classes are cancelled, will "provide some semblance of certainty for families, children, teachers and those who are working in the school system."

Tuesday's one-day session — lawmakers will return Oct. 15 to consider more specific funding and policy requests from Cooper and his agencies — wasn't without some division. The House defeated on a largely party-line vote a Democratic amendment that would have allowed county election boards to move early-voting sites with support from just a majority of board members. The final bill requires unanimous board approval.

Otherwise, the General Assembly's debate was marked by empathy for the storm's victims. Lawmakers shared storm stories and praised first responders who watched the session from the galleries.

"It's always good to see partisanship and some of the crazy divisions that we allow ourselves to get into get put aside for everybody to work together to try to move things forward," House Speaker Tim Moore told colleagues. "We're all people and we owe a duty to each other to take care of one another."