Despite consensus talk, much ground to cover on NC virus aid

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Differences between House and Senate funding priorities became clearer and immediate election-related spending looked unlikely Wednesday as North Carolina legislators advanced competing COVID-19 emergency packages.

Bills working their way through legislative committees during the annual session's first full work day showed the House wants to, for now, distribute or designate roughly $500 million more in federal dollars compared to the Senate.

The House would give more coronavirus relief funds to K-12 public schools now than the Senate, which is taking a guarded approach when it comes to earmarking federal dollars. Senate leaders are worried about the state's fragile budget picture since the economic downturn has dried up revenues. Federal money could be allowed later to fill budget shortfalls.

“We're trying to be as cautious as we can while taking care of what we know are immediate needs,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, an Onslow County Republican and a chief budget-writer. “Our budget in the next couple of years is going to be difficult.”

Legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper spoke about building consensus on the virus legislation as the session began Tuesday. Members of both parties have been involved in fashioning respective House and Senate proposals, and many of Cooper’s requests in his $1.4 billion package are contained in them. Legislators still hope to get a final measure to Cooper’s desk by the end of the week.

North Carolina’s share from the largest coronavirus rescue package is more than $3.5 billion. The House package would distribute $1.7 billion of this money, while the Senate package is about $1.2 billion, according to legislation debated Tuesday and Wednesday. These totals don't include more than $1.2 billion in grants from another federal relief law going to North Carolina and identified in the House and Senate legislation.

Both chambers, for example, locate $70 million for summer K-12 programs for early-grade children at an even higher risk of academic failure with schools closed for the rest of the school year. But the House would distribute another $56 million to purchase computers and improve internet service for students with remote learning. The House also wants to spend $110 million toward a new COVID-19 Response Research Fund, with money spread to five universities. Universities would get about half that amount in the Senate proposal.

House Speaker Tim Moore said many of the differences with the Senate are more about spending levels, rather than disagreements about the most pressing demands. While the House wants to give $75 million to the Golden LEAF Foundation to fund low-cost small business loans, the Senate would provide $125 million.

“We'll work out the differences," Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, said in a brief interview, adding senators “see the same needs that we've identified. It's just a question of how to get the funding there and how much.”

But policy differences remain as well. The House would expand Medicaid temporarily so people making up to twice the poverty rate can be treated for coronavirus-related maladies. The Senate proposal doesn't have that. Senate leader Phil Berger said Tuesday that spending going directly to medical providers will help treat the uninsured.

Both chambers have said they plan to address election-related issues in separate legislation. That may not happen until an anticipated weeks-long break after initial COVID-19 legislation is finalized. That timeline could be problematic for the June 23 Republican primary runoff for the 11th Congressional District. In-person voting begins June 4.

State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell urged legislators on Wednesday to approve $2.1 million in state funds to receive $11 million in federal election funds. The money would be used in part to ensure voting precincts in June and in the fall are equipped with disposable pens and styluses, masks and shields to prevent the spread of illness. The money also would prepare for expanded mail-in absentee voting.

Local elections board members in the 11th District also are asking legislators to change the law that requires polling place workers to live in the precinct they are staffing, saying many regular precinct workers don't want to work. They are “elderly and are genuinely concerned about their health," the board members wrote Monday.

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The story has been corrected to show the grants total more than $1.2 billion, not almost $1.3 billion.

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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.