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Residents seek state help after McCook Lake flood; proposed appropriation failed in committee
Summary
Vermillion residents asked when McCook Lake homeowners would receive assistance after severe flooding. Legislators said a bill to appropriate funds for lake restoration died in appropriations but that they continue to press Game, Fish and Parks for scope and schedule.
Several residents asked the delegation about state assistance for McCook Lake homeowners affected by recent flooding. Legislators said an appropriation bill intended to help lake restoration did not pass the Appropriations Committee but that the failed effort helped focus agency attention on remediation plans.
Senator Sydney Davis said the bill that would have funded lake restoration "did die in the Appropriations Committee" but that the push prompted Game, Fish and Parks to issue a scope of work and timelines. She and other legislators said there is currently no statewide program that allows cutting direct checks to individuals for private losses from flooding; remedying homeowners' losses would require different authorities or federal assistance.
Representative Chris Kassem said the event exposed gaps in the state's emergency-response and disaster-assistance systems and that he is committed to working on longer-term fixes, even if a legislative solution may take longer than residents would like.
Ending: Legislators urged affected homeowners to stay engaged with agency briefings and said they would continue to press state agencies for remediation plans and timetables.
