RALEIGH, NC (AP) – North Carolina state lawmakers signed a measure Thursday to provide more than $600 million more to Hurricane Helene recovery and relief, and also directed some storm-affected counties to open more polling places to address overcrowding and overcrowding during the early voting period.

In a one-day session, the Republican-controlled Legislature unveiled and approved two measures related to the catastrophic flooding and damage, which state officials say has left 97 dead. The administration of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that Helene caused at least one record $53 billion in damage and recovery needs in western North Carolina.

Two weeks ago, the General Assembly approved what was described as a preliminary aid package of USD 273 millionlegislative leaders promising much more to come in the coming months. The initial relief cash was designed largely to meet the state’s equal share to meet federal requirements for disaster assistance programs.

Cooper on Wednesday offered its own $3.9 billion comprehensive storm mitigation and mitigation request, with more than $1 billion in grants for businesses, farmers and utility repairs alone. Thursday’s bill does not address most of his recommendations. GOP leaders said they just received the governor’s proposal earlier this week and will take a closer look at it in the coming weeks. The Legislature returns for more business on November 19.

“The assessment of what needs to be done is still ongoing,” Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters. “What we’ve done is deploy an appropriate amount of resources right now to deal with more immediate things that have some time sensitivity.”

The unanimously approved spending measure takes $604 million more from the state’s nearly $4.5 billion “rainy day” savings reserve and moves it into the Helene relief fund. Lawmakers also found $77 million in other funds and reserves for other items.

The relief bill now headed to Cooper’s office includes $50 million in loans to small businesses in affected areas, $100 million in loans to local governments for emergency water and wastewater system repairs, and 5 more million dollars to address the mental health needs of public school students and their families. in the region.

The state also found other funds to provide tuition scholarships for students affected by the storm, including assistance for students enrolled for the spring semester at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Some Mountain Democrats said the aid measure did not go far enough and called for more aid more quickly. Businesses already burdened with loans need subsidies now to survive, said Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe County. Mayfield said an eviction moratorium or massive rental assistance is needed to prevent workers from losing their homes, which would cause them to leave the area.

“Speed ​​matters,” Mayfield said, his voice cracking with emotion. “The people and the economy of our region hang in the balance right now — right now — not in November, not in December, not next year, but now.”

But Republican Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County — like Buncombe, one of the hardest-hit areas — said the Legislature is shelling out more money to respond to the hurricane than lawmakers have for previous storms. Hise said the damage is so widespread that it will take more than just state government to complete the rebuild. The federal government, nonprofits and churches will be key players, he said.

“There’s a lot of fear about what’s going to happen in the future and how we can stop it right now,” Hise said. “But we must deal with our immediate needs first.”

The ballot measure approved by wide margins directs boards of elections in 13 mountain counties to ensure that, as soon as possible, there is at least one in-person early voting location for every 30,000 registered voters in each county.

According to lawmakers and the State Board of Elections, the directive is expected to affect only Henderson and McDowell counties. Early voting began Oct. 17, with Henderson and McDowell — both Republican-leaning — opening just one voting site each.

Another site in McDowell County did not open due to hurricane damage. Henderson County officials had announced before the legislation that a second site would open for several days next week.

With the passage of the bill — which becomes law without Cooper because it affects a small number of counties — Henderson County would have four seats, said Sen. Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson County. McDowell County would be expected to have a second place finish.

On the opening day of early voting in Henderson County, officials closed the lanes on a major highway to help move traffic, and golf carts transported voters from an auto parts store to the lone polling place. But some House Democrats questioned the appropriateness of adding early voting locations in Henderson when the county’s board of elections previously decided before Helene to have just one this fall.

Nearly 1.89 million people across the state had voted in person by Wednesday, according to the State Board of Elections, or 126,000 more than at the same time in 2020. In-person early voting continues through Nov. 2. Republicans emphasized early voting this fall compared to previous election cycles.

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