Reps. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) and Donna White (R-Johnston) discuss bipartisan efforts related to North Carolina's COVID-19 response. | North Carolina Legislature
Reps. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) and Donna White (R-Johnston) discuss bipartisan efforts related to North Carolina's COVID-19 response. | North Carolina Legislature
Two state Republican representatives highlighted bipartisan cooperation within the General Assembly that assisted in getting approximately $2 billion in aid out to the North Carolinians who needed support early in the COVID-19 crisis.
Reps. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) and Donna White (R-Johnston) discussed the efforts during an interview with InFocus' Loretta Boniti that was published to YouTube on Aug. 10.
Saine told Boniti that legislative committees were already working using virtual meeting software to get ahead of the crisis even before the session started, looking at areas such as education and the economy where they knew rapid action would be needed.
“Because of that, we were able to address some needs — critical needs — first and get on top of that,” Saine told Boniti.
Boniti asked White, who is a nurse by trade, how the lawmakers handled returning the legislative session just as most of the country was locking down in response to coronavirus concerns.
White said that there were measures in place, such as allowances permitting legislators to conduct business remotely, as well as social distancing and mask guidelines for those who voted in-person.
“I think that everyone really reached out and tried to do their best to acknowledge the three Ws,” White told Boniti. “I didn’t monitor them to see if they were washing their hands, but I think they were.”
Asked if they feel the state took the right steps to ensure the spread of coronavirus is slowed and that North Carolinians are getting the testing and health care that they need, White said that she felt the Legislature had gone a long way toward providing health care facilities, care facilities and schools the assistance and supplies they needed early in the pandemic.
And that was only the start of the many steps the Legislature took to ensure that frontline workers had both the logistical and legislative support they needed, White told Boniti.
“I think we spent the money wisely and had the policy there to address the short-term and long-term goals,” White told Boniti.
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