If elected, no bill will be voted on by myself without first making it public through my office website, as well as giving you the opportunity to review it and comment. Bills affect us all and should never be voted on without first being seen by those it stands to effect.
I support and would sponsor a bill to change the state Constitution to allow citizen initiatives ~ To often we are seeing elected officials act in their own best interest instead of the best insterest of those they serve. Due to gerrymandering even when voters aren't happy they can't simply vote out representative. We continue to see items not allowed to be voted on by the General Assembly that have huge bipartisan support of 75% or more. By allowing initiatives this would add to the system of checks and balances by giving citizens the ability to bypass the General Assembly and have a referendum vote automatically appear on the ballot of the next election. This measure shouldn't be used likely and because of that should requirethe support and signature of at least 60% of registered voters.
I will introduce new legislative procedure that would require a set amount of time for review before a bill could be voted on & put a more strict timeline requirement on voting procedure. ~ Over that past several Legislation sessions we have seen a growing trend of politicians wanting to treat important bill votes more like a reality show. Bill votes should never be rushed (with the exception of decisions needing to be made in extreme circumstances such as during a natural disaster). I pledge to submit a bill that requires that a set amount of time would be required for review, based on the length of the bill, before a vote can be set. This bill would also set a new standard that would put a maximum time limit and/or number of times a vote can be placed on the calendar before a bill and/or veto override can sit before having to redo the process as a whole, or in the case of veto override, have the veto stand. Think of this much like a statute of limitation clause.
I support a full review of every current NC law ~ Every year we hear a new story of an archaic law being used to circumvent justice. As we pull back the curtain, we find more and more instances where outdated laws allow for legal loopholes. I am calling for a full review of every law North Carolina currently has active so that we can close these loopholes, and correct any overly broad language that removes its original intent. To put it in perspective, for decades a poorly written law made it so that once a female gave sexual consent, she was not able to revoke it legally, thereby allowing a defendant of sexual assault an unjust and unintended defense. Once this came to light it took another 5 years to get the Legislature to act and correct it. That can't continue to stand nor be the norm.
I support a line item veto for the Governor ~ North Carolina is one of only 6 states that doesn't allow our Governor any form of line item veto. Line item veto power would allow the Governor to veto particular lines or clauses of a bill without having to veto it in its entirety. The majority of North Carolinians support such a power that would give a Governor the ability to remove wasteful spending from a bill they could otherwise support and pass. It alsos help eliminate the trend of adding items to bills that aren't related to the body of the bill. To protect against abuse of power I propose including such language that only allows for veto of entire lines or passages of text.
I support and look to introduce The Clean Bill Act ~ We see far too many bills still under current rules that have pork barrel spending attached that not only would never pass on its own merit, but that has nothing to do with the original bill. This is why I support a Clean Bill Act that would eliminate omnibills. This act would serve to remove much of the budget gridlock we routinely see, and guarantee that every bill must pass standing on its own merit. Under this act, voters will know exactly what it was that their elected officials voted for or against. If a bill isn't good enough to pass free standing it most likely isn't needed by North Carolina or our people.
I support term limits for the General Assembly ~ Politics was never meant by our founding fathers to be a lifetime career. We have term limits for our Executive branch as it stands. By not having the same for the Legislative, we are offsetting the system of checks and balances. There should be term limits that limit an individual to 12 total years to be used between the House & Senate as you choose. This would be a lifetime limit instead of a consecutive limit
I support a NC Constitution Amendment to change Governor Term
~ When ratified in 1971 the NC Constitution limited the Governor to two consecutive 4-year terms in office. What most aren't aware of is that it isn't a lifetime limit. A governor currently could serve 8 years leave for a 4 year term and again run for Governor. I propose changing this from consecutive to lifetime.
Infrastruture Innovation
I support the continued expansion of broadband (high speed) internet into rural areas. ~ We must immediately overturn the law that limits broadband growth by companies such as Green Light in Wilson, NC. Limiting company growth in underserved areas based on city limits or county borders, guarantees that telecom corporations do just enough to keep their monopolies.
I support recognizing internet as a utility ~ High speed internet must no longer be treated as a luxury but as a utility and allowed to expand just as electricity did in rural areas before it. Using the model in place by electric co-ops the same can be implemented for high speed internet to more quickly enhance the service in rural areas.
The National Bipartisan Infrasture Bill has helped in recent years start to address many problems of rural infrastructure but there is still more that we can do on a state level. I support targeted & strategic investments in the following to help revitalize rural economies & communities:
water/sewer ~ Many of our communities are still waiting for assistance from the federal government on flood relief. Some have been waiting a quarter of a century. NC is the mecca of engineering and we have the resources here in our state to address this problem directly. I fully support using any and all state resources to assist communities such as Princeville with how to address flooding moving forward.
agriculture innovation
biofuels & clean energy options such as wind/solar/wave
highway system ~ this includes bringing back reflective paint on our road markings and looking at innovative ideas such as solar activated glow in the dark paint to further enhance night driving under all weather conditions
Increased access to public transportation. If we want to continue to grow business development in our state, we have to address the lack of public transportation. Public options need to be available that connect our business hubs together. We need to start studying the best means of public transportation to meet our growing needs including the possibility of rail and public/private partnerships with companies such as Uber to develop new public transportation opportunities. We must also reverse a decision made by the General Assembly in 2023 to place more taxes on rideshare companies that will keep them out of rural areas.
Main street revitalization is key to growing corporate and small businesses, creating 21st century jobs & securiting prosperity.
Education Reform
Education is the backbone to all other aspects of our society. We must create a system that isn't one size fits all but instead works to enhance the learning style and qualities of each student directly
I support fully funded public schools including universal pre-k
I support fully funded school meals for all students ~ No student should ever have to go hungry let alone while trying to focus on their education. The pandemic showed us a model that is not only possible but easily can become a reality.
I support increasing educator pay to AT LEAST the national average, expanding statewide a policy that has the years of experience transfer from one school district to another so that educators and staff don't have to start over on the pay scale when transferring districts, and returning bonus pay for additional degrees and certifications.
I support increasing state funding to assist with funding local law enforcement to supply full time school resource officers at every school.
I support increasing pay to guarantee that students and educators have adequate support staff from bus drivers, teacher's assistants, mental health counselors, nurses, custodians, etc.
The education lottery was meant to supplement education spending in NC. Over the last decade we have allowed the General Assembly to get away from this model and instead of supplmenting it has been used to replace part of the funding in the budget. I support having the funding for the education lottery seen and used completely independent of the education budget. The money from the lottery must once again be used ON TOP of fully funding education to give additional services.
Not every student learns the same and because of that all options need to be reviewed and funded to give each student the best opportunity for success. Once public schools are fully funded I support alternative options such as remote learning, homeschooling, trade school and private tuition. With each the same guidelines and oversight that are used for public school must also be implemented and verified so there is a new system of accountability in place
We have one of the best community college systems in the country yet currently it isn't allowed to work as one system but 52 individual systems. I support changes that will remove the need for students to have completed 50-75% of their degree at a certain campus to graduate. Students who only need 1 class for an additonal degree at another community college in the state shouldn't be denied the degree simply because they didn't complete over half of it there. Credits should transfer equally opening up the entire system to all students.
Affordable Housing & Fair Livable Wages
Affordable housing is no longer a need its a necessity as we continue to see housing prices and rental prices alike skyrocket with little to no options for those who work and want to live in our communities to stay in our communities.
I support a change to all grants permitted to developers requiring that for each project done 15% of the total space must be put towards workforce and afforadble housing. This will not be required in the direct project but must be done in an allotted timeframe or the grant would have to repayed in full.
I support reversing a NC law that was made in 1984 banning rent control in North Carolina. We must again give counties and local municipalities the right to decide what is best for the needs of their communities. Currently there is no limit on the amount that rent can be raised nor how often rent can be raised further leading to the affordable housing crisis.
I support removing all property tax for the primary home of seniors 65+
I support increased state funding and grants for local communities to develop more individual senior living spaces and to transform blocks into senior communities
I support reversing the law made in 2023 banning counties and local municipalies from setting their own higher wage and benefits
I support universal paid family leave
I support setting a statewide minimum wage that is tied directly to annual cost of living. We shouldn't be debating if wages from the 1990s are adequate in 2024 while the cost of everything else increases around us. By tieing it directly to the cost of living it creates a system of checks and balances that guarantees that those who work in a community can also afford to live there while at the same time making sure that small business owners can still compete.
Other
I support legalization of marijuana ~ There is overwhelming support from the public for legalization of marijuana. The Senate once again passed a bill in 2023 to legalize medical purposes yet the House refused to take a vote. Not only would this help address the opiod epidemic, and assist patients who traditional pharmaceuticals no longer help, but would create a new cash crop for struggling farmers.
I support expanded funding for rural healthcare and mental health ~ Our communities are losing hospitals and doctors at the same time that we are seeing a rise in our aging population. We need more access to services within our communities by those who understand our communities.
