House Select Committee on COVID-19
House Health care bill on fast-track as legislative session begins in Raleigh
A bill with a raft of measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina is on a fast-track and could be voted on by the full House as early as Thursday. The House Health Committee unanimously approved House Bill 1037 Tuesday in a meeting attending video conference by most members. The bill funds a […]
Lawmakers shape new bills as unemployment claims top 450,000
More than 450,000 North Carolinians have filed for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic began to devastate the state economy, lawmakers heard in a legislative committee meeting Tuesday. Lawmakers are considering draft bills to expand access to unemployment insurance, to provide emergency assistance to workers and employers impacted by the coronavirus and waive interest for those filing […]
In the trenches of a pandemic, frontline medical workers ask lawmakers for reinforcements, more supplies
Front-line medical workers in North Carolina need more personal protective equipment, work flexibility and reinforcements from new and returning nurses and doctors as COVID-19 numbers climb. "[Nurses and hospital workers] certainly consider themselves to be your front-line soldiers in this effort," Tina Gordon, CEO of the North Carolina Nurses Association, told the legislative Health Care work group, a subcommittee of the House Select Committee on COVID-19.
State lawmakers receive an earful about what schools need to cope with COVID-19 crisis
Freebird McKinney gave a group of lawmakers a lot to think about Thursday as they considered ways to respond to school closures because of the COVID-19 crisis. McKinney, the new director of legislative affairs and community outreach for the State Board of Education, said his bosses are weighing legislative requests for calendar flexibility to allow schools to open in early August for the […]
House COVID-19 committee economic support work group weighs challenges, responses
The NC House Select Committee on COVID-19’s Economic Support working group held its first meeting Wednesday as the state saw a record number of unemployment applications and lawmakers scrambled to find solutions for people and businesses financially devastated by the pandemic. More than 166,000 unemployment claims have been since March 16, lawmakers heard in a […]
NC House Select Committee on COVID-19’s Economic Support group holds first meeting Wednesday
The NC House Select Committee on COVID-19’s Economic Support working group will meet Wednesday at 11 a.m., according to an announcement issued Tuesday afternoon. The meeting will be held primarily via teleconference. There will be “extremely limited seating” in Room 1228/1327 at the Legislative Building, according to the notice. Due to health concerns, the public […]
Meeting schedule unclear for NC House Select Committee on COVID-19
[Update: Joseph Kyzer, director of communications for NC House Speaker Tim Moore, responded to Policy Watch late Monday. “The public will be able to live stream the meetings like a normal committee through Room 1228 on the legislative website,” Kyzer wrote. ” We hope to have the first meeting of a working group on Wednesday […]
New legislative committee focuses on COVID-19 pandemic
House Speaker Tim Moore has appointed 44 Republicans and 29 Democrats to the House Select Committee on COVID-19. It includes smaller working groups for economic support, health care, education, and continuity of state operations, such as emergency services, elections and public safety. The full committee and working groups will primarily work remotely, such as by […]