Editorial: Pass Stein's $1.07 billion Helene relief package, with accountability, now

CBC Editorial: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025; #8973

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

The General Assembly must pass Gov. Josh Stein’s $1.07-billion Helene recovery package, with the same speed it has moved other major pieces of legislation (like the notorious 131-page power-grab 2024 Senate Bill 382 essentially presented and passed in a day).

Why?

First, it is needed now. The people of western North Carolina have urgent needs and they much be met as quickly as possible. While some critical federal aid is in the offing, it must go through a variety of steps that will require months before funding becomes available.

Legislative action on Stein’s plan will directly get needed resources in the hands of state agencies and, as significantly, provide backing for local agencies in 16 western counties. Those are the on-the-ground services best positioned to move quickly and get assistance to those most in need.

Second, if the legislature moves with the expedience that is both necessary – and certainly within its capacity -- it will have a set of markers by which to hold at least one area of government – Stein’s administration – accountable for the timely delivery of aid and services.

Stein’s proposed:

• $295 million in economic support for businesses, tourism and downtowns.
• $263 million to repair homes, provide affordable housing and to fix utilities.
• $311 million to remove debris along with repairing roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure.
• $147 million to address agriculture and farming needs as well as prepare for wildfires.
• $56 million to provide direct aid to children and families through support for food banks and additional instruction for school children who haven’t been able to access school facilities and regular classroom time.

These are clear and obvious needs. They must be addressed now. When the legislation is presented, likely this week, legislators can, and should, act with dispatch.  Moving on Stein’s plan is complimentary, not competition with just-filed House Bill 47, a single-page shell of a proposal, with no specifics other than broadly calling for $500 million in disaster relief.

The legislative leadership was mostly muted for many years amid reports of delayed and unresponsive actions concerning relief needed after hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) ravaged significant areas of largely Democratic-represented counties in the eastern part of the state.

But when Helene’s destruction last fall hit many Republican-dominated counties in the western part of the state, the leadership suddenly was motivated to act and spoke up.

Regardless of the motivation and even the delay in addressing past concerns, there’s the chance now to both act in a timely way and establish clear criteria and expectations for action. The Stein administration and the legislative leadership should both welcome the opportunity and work together to establish appropriate expectations along with a system of public accountability.

Legislators must seize the opportunity to act now and rapidly get assistance to where it is most needed along with establishing a clear set of objectives to hold accountable those responsible for helping western North Carolina heal.