The Latest: NC commits $400M now for Florence recovery

The Latest on a special legislative session in North Carolina designed to approve money to help recovery in communities flooded last month by Hurricane Florence (all times local):

9 p.m.

North Carolina legislators are spending $400 million to speed recovery from Hurricane Florence and setting aside another $450 million for upcoming needs, temporarily setting aside the sharp partisanship that’s typified government.

Legislators on Monday approved a second emergency spending plan a month after Florence slammed into the state. Lawmakers set aside $50 million to match federal disaster relief funds during a special session last week.

The new package includes $95 million for repairing and upgrading public school, university and community college property damaged during Florence. About $7 million will help college and university students remain enrolled despite sudden, storm-related expenses.

Most of the money would come from the state’s emergency reserves. The state has about $2 billion in its rainy day reserves.

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7 p.m.

North Carolina legislators say they’re ready to start spending $400 million to help people and communities reeling from flooding left by Hurricane Florence and setting aside another $450 million for upcoming needs.

An emergency spending plan unveiled Monday evening would help farmers and fishermen who suffered economic losses, help college students stay in school despite storm-related setbacks, and repair damaged school buildings.

Most of the money would come from the state’s emergency reserves. The state has about $2 billion in rainy-day funds, and this year’s state budget left $560 million unspent.

The Florence relief spending so far represents about a third of $1.5 billion Gov. Roy Cooper’s office estimates will be needed over five years of recovery.

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3 p.m.

Dozens of people from communities damaged by flooding from Hurricane Florence are urging legislators to release money that will help them and their neighbors recover.

The state General Assembly on Monday resumed the special session that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper began two weeks ago.

Mayo Best Jr. of Kinston said his sister’s home suffered flooding that swept through the entire lower level. He says he attended a rally outside the legislative building in Raleigh to express support for lawmakers spending bulked-up reserve funds to help communities in need.

The state has about $2 billion in its rainy day reserves. Lawmakers set aside $50 million to match federal disaster relief funds during a special session last week.

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4:40 a.m.

North Carolina lawmakers are going back to work to decide on approving hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up from Hurricane Florence and help the storm’s victims.

The General Assembly prepared to reconvene Monday the special session that Gov. Roy Cooper began two weeks ago. At that time, the GOP-controlled legislature located $56 million and eased rules on voter registration and public school calendars for the hardest-hit counties.

Now GOP leaders say they’re ready to set aside nearly $800 million more. Cooper last week unveiled a $1.5 billion recovery plan and asked for $750 million of that this week as a down payment, with a focus on housing, farmers and schools.

This legislative gathering is expected to last only one day. It comes three weeks before General Assembly elections.