RALEIGH, NC - Gov. Pat McCrory requested $200 million in a Special Session for Hurricane Matthew and the NC wildfires, the governor announced Monday.
He released a video message, outlining details for his request.
"In the last three months, North Carolina has experienced some of the worst natural disasters in state history," McCrory said. "As we work to make sure North Carolina recovers stronger than before, we are committed to addressing the unmet needs of our citizens still suffering, and we must do it now, especially during the Christmas holidays and as cold weather approaches."
The Special Session happened Tuesday.
The governor's request will address the following five areas:
-Housing to provide short-term housing for areas not covered by FEMA and provide grants for rental assistance, construction of new rental units and repairs
-Local Governments to address school calendar flexibility and help fund repairs to infrastructure, trash pick-up, river maintenance and other local needs
-Economic development and stabilization to help impacted businesses get back on their feet
-Planning to make sure we rebuild communities in a sustainable way so that future leaders and families won’t be faced with the same destruction when the next disaster strikes
-And funds to cover the state share of Disaster Relief to directly help our citizens.
In McCrory's video message, he said securing this funding at the state and federal level, will be a good first step in long-term recovery efforts which will require additional funding in the future. The governor also hailed the state's large rainy day fund which will allow the state to respond without a tax increase.
DAY 2
7:00 p.m.
After McCrory nominates state budget dir. Andrew Heath to be special SC judge, speaker of house announces no more votes tonight.
Bill filing deadline extended to 7:30pm.
6:40 p.m.
Senate Republicans are proposing dramatic changes to North Carolina elections laws in the General Assembly's current special session.
A bill filed Wednesday evening would merge the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission. The bill envisions creating a new eight-member board, with four appointees picked by the governor and the General Assembly. There would be four Democrats and four Republicans. Current law gives a majority of the state elections board's five members to the governor's party.
County election boards would become four-member panels, compared to three today.
The legislation would make elections for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals seats officially partisan again, with party primaries. It also would direct the Court of Appeals to meet "en banc" with up to 15 judges to rehear cases heard by three-judge panels.
A Senate committee could hear the measure Thursday morning.
4:30 p.m.
Senator Paul Lowe, Jr. released the following: "The extra session of the 2016 Senate and House adjourned today after passage of House Bill 2, “An Act to Enact The Disaster Recovery Act of 2016”. The provision of this legislation is to fund counties affected by Hurricane Matthew and the wildfires in western North Carolina. As of 2:00 p.m. today, a proclamation was passed by the Senate and House calling for a 4th Extra Session to address other matters. As of the writing of this notification, my Democratic Colleagues and I have not been advised regarding the matters that will be taken up in the 4th Extra Session that will convene at 4:45 today.
“I continue to remain adamantly opposed to any legislation that would expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court or any matters that weaken the will of the people of our state”, Lowe said.
The Senate Democrats did not sign letters authorizing the 4th Extra Session, nor were they asked to sign letters. At the time of this press release the Democrats will not see the bills that will be taken up in the 4th Extra Session until after 5:00 p.m. today."
4:00 p.m.
Peaceful protests held in Raleigh.
Some peaceful protesters here talking out against this new special session. A lot were here yesterday too @WFMY pic.twitter.com/r9VYZXHOFg
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
3:35 p.m.
A new special session of the North Carolina General Assembly is underway, still with few specifics about what Republicans running the House and Senate want to debate or pass before leaving Raleigh.
The legislature adjourned Wednesday afternoon the session that Gov. Pat McCrory called primarily to approve money for relief after Hurricane Matthew and wildfires in the mountains. But GOP leaders had accumulated enough signatures from colleagues to call themselves back to work minutes later.
Lawmakers had until late Wednesday to file bills. Speaker Tim Moore told House members they would know later whether action would be taken on bills Wednesday evening.
House Democrats lodged a formal protest against the new session, saying the method through which Republicans convened is unconstitutional. Democrats and their allies are worried GOP leaders will rush through legislation that could weaken the next governor, Democrat Roy Cooper.
3 p.m.
Lawmakers have until 7 p.m. to file the bill.
New rule proposed for this session: lawmakers have until 7pm to file bills today @WFMY
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
1:40 p.m.
A Hurricane Matthew and wildfire relief package completed by the North Carolina General Assembly is heading to Gov. Pat McCrory's desk.
The House on Wednesday agreed unanimously to a small change the Senate made to the bill now being sent to the outgoing governor, whose signature is expected. McCrory spoke to House and Senate committees this week to push for the roughly $200 million proposal. No one in the House and Senate voted against the legislation.
Lots of questions from House Dems about new special sessions. What's the cost? Why are we meeting? Where was the notice? @WFMY pic.twitter.com/y5LuXoD1b8
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
The legislature's work apparently is not done. Republican lawmakers are calling themselves back into session after ending the current session that McCrory called. Exactly what legislation they want to debate is unclear, but Democrats and their allies are worried there will be mischief.
Protestors gathered in opposition of the new special session Wednesday afternoon.
Some peaceful protesters here talking out against this new special session. A lot were here yesterday too @WFMY pic.twitter.com/r9VYZXHOFg
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
Rep. Jackson from Wake Co. says he's lodging a protest against new special session.
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
12:25 p.m.
Passage of a relief package for cleanup and repairs following Hurricane Matthew and mountain wildfires is almost done.
The Senate gave unanimous approval Wednesday to the $201 million proposal. The measure is designed to get more displaced residents into housing, give local governments help building infrastructure and provide the state forest service money for firefighting expenses.
The bill now only needs final approval from the House on some minor changes before going to Gov. Pat McCrory for his expected signature. The House approved unanimously a slightly different version Tuesday.
The disaster aid isn't the only thing lawmakers will consider before going home. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger announced plans to adjourn the special session that McCrory proclaimed Tuesday and convene a new session requested by three-fifths of the lawmakers in each chamber.
Moore and Berger gave few specifics about legislation being considered during the new session starting Wednesday afternoon.
10:45 a.m.
A $200 million relief package for Hurricane Matthew and mountain wildfires is nearing final passage after a pair of Senate committees signed off on a plan already approved unanimously by the House.
Gov. says we can't have people on streets this holiday season because their homes were destroyed. "That's not the North Carolina way." @WFMY pic.twitter.com/vs3h2its5I
— Erica Stapleton (@EricaReportsAll) December 14, 2016
The Senate appropriations and finance panels voted Wednesday for the proposal, which emphasizes getting displaced residents in rental housing and helping local governments with infrastructure repairs. About one-third of the funds would help match hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid already coming to North Carolina. The bill writers emphasized more financial aid would be coming from the legislature in early 2017.
Gov. Pat McCrory addressed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday and urged lawmakers to act quickly to give people harmed by the historic flooding more hope entering the Christmas holidays. McCrory called the legislature back into session Tuesday to approve a state package.
Senate floor debate was expected later Wednesday.
6:40 a.m.
The legislature is making quick work of a package to rebuild eastern North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew and to fight recent wildfires in the mountains. Whether that means more time for Republicans to consider unrelated legislation before going home remains unclear.
Two Senate committees planned meetings Wednesday morning to discuss a roughly $200 million relief proposal that the House approved unanimously late Tuesday. Senate leader Phil Berger says he anticipates his chamber to approve the package.
Gov. Pat McCrory called the General Assembly back to Raleigh for Tuesday's special session, with disaster relief the priority.
Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said separately they're considering other legislation but aren't saying much about what else they may consider. Anti-Republican activists are waiting in the Legislative Building to try to fight that.
DAY 3
Republicans at the General Assembly appear ready to undermine North Carolina Gov.-elect Roy Cooper's powers before he takes office next month.
GOP lawmakers participating in a special session scheduled committee meetings Thursday to consider bills that would reshape parts of state government and Cooper's relations with the legislature.
One measure would require Cooper's Cabinet choices to get Senate confirmation and scale back dramatically the number of at-will political appointees Cooper can hire. Another measure would merge the State Board of Elections and State Ethics Commission.
Democrats are furious about the goals of the second special session this week, calling it a power grab after the voters picked Cooper over Republican Gov. Pat McCrory last month. A special session that closed Wednesday located $200 million for hurricane and wildfire relief.