August 6 Legislative Update

August 6, 2021

Legislative Highlights

Update on Legislature and Budget Process:

This week the Senate had a full week of committee meetings and several short voting sessions. The budget (SB105 2021 Appropriations Act) passed the Senate on June 25 and is currently being heard in committees in the House of Representatives. If passed, the bill will return to the Senate for another round of committee hearings.

Sponsored Bills Moving Through Committee:
SB 711 Compassionate Care Act

This bill would legalize cannabis as a medically prescriptible treatment for certain conditions, including cancer and PTSD. The Compassionate Care Act is an important step forward for those who are suffering from severe pain and our veterans suffering from PTSD.

This bill was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on July 21 and is currently in the Senate Health Care Committee.

SB 727 Support Lumbee Recognition Act
This bill adds the North Carolina Senate’s voice to the calls for federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. This bill was introduced on 6/21/2021.

Vaccine Update

A free COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all who want it.
Rest assured: you have a spot to take your shot.
  • You will likely need an appointment to get vaccinated.
  • Your local vaccine provider can help you get your shot. Because supplies are very limited right now, most doctors cannot provide vaccinations in their offices.
  • You can also call the toll-free COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center at 1-888-675-4567.
What you should know:
  • The vaccine is free everywhere in North Carolina.
  • No photo ID or insurance is needed.
  • Depending on where you get your vaccine, you may need to make an appointment.
  • U.S. citizenship is not required or checked.

Find Vaccine Location: https://myspot.nc.gov/

Need transportation to and from your vaccine provider? People who need transportation assistance to a COVID-19 vaccine appointment should reach out to their local transit agency. You can find your local transit agency online and can call the phone number listed for assistance.
As of August 5, North Carolina has administered over 9.8 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine:
Statewide:
-4,950,587 first doses
-4,579,895 second doses
-366,708 single shot doses
9,897,190 Total Doses
Cumberland County:
-172,664 with at least one dose (51%)
-158,220 fully vaccinated (47%)
More info on Vaccines: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations

Thank You and Best Wishes to Our Summer Intern, Cate!

This week was the last one for our summer intern Cate, who spent the last three months interning in Senator deViere’s office in Raleigh. Cate is a native of Cary and a rising sophomore at Wake Forest University where she is studying Politics & International Affairs. Cate is also involved in student government and writes for the school paper, Old Gold & Black. Thank you and best of luck, Cate!

In The Community

Above: Senator deViere and son Greyson attend Hope Mills Family Fun Day!

 

Above: Senator deViere attends the North Carolina Defense Trade Show & Cybersecurity Forum at FTCC.

 

Above: Senator deViere attends Through My Eyes Streetfest at Orange Street School sponsored by Greater Life of Fayetteville.

 

Above: Senator deViere attended the funeral of Senate Sergeant at Arms Frances Pope Patterson who passed away recently. She was a kind soul who touched countless lives and will by missed by many.

Available Resources

CDC Issues New Temporary Protection from Eviction:

CDC is issuing a new order temporarily halting evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission in order to respond to recent, unexpected developments in the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant.

It is intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which likely would be exacerbated by mass evictions. See map below for impacted areas:

More Info and Full Declaration: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html

Fayetteville/Cumberland Rental Assistance Program (RAP):
Eligible residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County can apply for rent and utility aid through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (RAP). The RAP will help cover past, current or upcoming rent or utility payments for households experiencing economic constraints from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be eligible, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling and meet the following criteria:
  • Resident of the City of Fayetteville or Cumberland County, North Carolina;
  • One or more individuals within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
  • Household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Please note that households with an income at or below 50% will be prioritized during the first 30 days of the program to ensure funding is made available to our most vulnerable populations. Households not in this priority group are still encouraged to apply at this time and should be aware of potential delays in application review and processing.
Landlords may begin an application and invite tenants to request assistance for rental arrears.
More info and application: https://iem-preregistration.com/cumberland-nc
New Broadband Affordability Program
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households.
If your household is eligible, you can receive:
  • Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
  • Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household.
More info and application: https://getemergencybroadband.org/

Legislative Update

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently in the long session. All Senate bills for the session are now filed.
The Office of Senator Kirk deViere will remain open to assist constituents with concerns, as well as to field opinions regarding the Senator’s legislative actions.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office:
Directly: DeviereLA@ncleg.gov
Office: (919) 733-5776