ALBANY – State Senators John Bonacic and William Larkin have introduced legislation that would have the state cover the 12.5 percent local share of funding for FEMA eligible restoration work in counties that suffered damage from the two recent heavy rain events.

Right now, FEMA would foot 75 percent of the bill with the state paying 12.5 percent and the affected counties paying the other 12.5 percent.

The two lawmakers would like the state to help them out as much as possible, said Bonacic.

“Government has to come together. They have to put partisanship aside, they have to put regional differences aside,” he said. “This is a case like the Great Depression as far as I am concerned in those areas that were hit hard, so I am making the plea to help these people in all of the devastated areas where there has been a declaration of a disaster by the President.”

Bonacic and Larkin are majority Republicans in the Senate. Bonacic said a majority party Democrat from Binghamton is sponsoring the measure in the Assembly.