Hickory Sun

The North Carolina General Assembly's recent passage of a more than billion-dollar COVID-19 pandemic relief package is being labeled as a "sweeping" plan by Republican leaders.

According to a Sept. 1 article by the conservative think Civitas Institute published before the bill's passage, Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) stated the relief would be particularly important to North Carolina families.

"This latest relief bill signals a shift from immediate needs, to long-term recovery efforts, included grants for small businesses, additional broadband investments, and supporting families that have been forced to move to online learning," Jackson stated in the article.

The bill will also provide $5 million in election funding to ensure the safety of in-person voting in the midst of the pandemic, funding for the state's expanded school choice grant, $8 million for childcare assistance as well as funding for additional unemployment benefits, according to the article.