Broadband, education atop Cooper’s $5.7B virus aid proposals

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Broadband, education, local infrastructure and targeted businesses would be among the greatest beneficiaries should Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposals to spend $5.7 billion in federal coronavirus relief become law.

Cooper on Wednesday unveiled his ideas to spend the latest tranche of aid coming from Washington.

Cooper proposed to state legislators that $1.2 billion go toward fiber installation grants and other broadband projects.

A higher-education package of $835 million would create new or expanded scholarships. And “Extra Credit Grants” implemented last year would be retooled to target lower-income families.

The legislature will now consider his ideas.