Florence special session to start week earlier than planned

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Gov. Roy Cooper will move up the start of a special session to deal with issues related to Hurricane Florence.

The news comes after Republican leaders in the General Assembly called on Cooper to call for a special legislative session to deal with Hurricane Florence-related issues earlier than planned.

Last week Cooper called for the General Assembly to return to Raleigh Oct. 9 to discuss issues related to the hurricane. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate Speaker Pro Tem Phil Berger wrote the governor Friday asking for the session to convene this coming Friday.

Today the Republican leaders made another push for an earlier start. This afternoon they released another letter they sent today to the governor asking for him to start the extra session on Oct. 2. They say that would allow lawmakers to get the ball rolling on issues like school calendars, teacher pay, clearing potential legal and fiscal hurdles for federal relief, delaying small business tax deadlines and more. They propose then adjourning the session until Oct. 9 to address any funding issues and needs assessments prepared by executive agencies.

This afternoon, Cooper spokesman Ford Porter told WWAY that governor is good with moving the special session up a week.

“As the governor addressed in today’s briefing, safety concerns remain this week for legislators and people in eastern North Carolina who would want to travel to Raleigh,” Porter told WWAY in an e-mail. “The governor will issue a proclamation for October 2.”