Knight appointment creates yet another judicial vacancy

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Both parties endorse in nonpartisan School Board race

Less publicly than it did in 2016, the Republican Party is again endorsing candidates in the nonpartisan School Board election. And this time, Democrats are pulling an arrow from the Republican quiver from 2012, when the GOP urged partisans to cast a “single-shot” vote for Republican Josh Houston.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Four Seasons Politics

William Barber bringing 'Poor People's' campaign to Hendersonville

William Barber II, the civil rights activist who founded the Moral Majority movement, is bringing his national Poor People's Campaign to Hendersonville.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

⚡️ VOTER GUIDE: School Board

School Board candidates are broadly in agreement on the major issues the elected leaders will face in the months ahead, including support for saving the historic classroom building as part of the Hendersonville High School and opposition to allowing teachers to carry firearms. The Lightning asked them about those issues and others. The candidates responding were:• Ted Beddingfield, 71, a Hendersonville native and Vietnam veteran who is retired after 28 years at the DuPont plant in Brevard and from International Missions and human resources.• Dot Case, 70, a Henderson County native and retired civics and history teacher at North Henderson High School.• Stacey Caskey, 53, a teacher for 28 years who now runs a tutoring business with her husband, Brian. • Jay Egolf, 48, owner of Egolf Ford in Brevard.• Amy Lynn Holt, 45, the current School Board chair and an executive with her family’s Champion Comfort Experts heating and A/C company.Candidate Randy Ward did not respond to the Lightning questionnaire. 
Why are you running for Henderson County School Board? Beddingfield: “Children First” is the reason I am running. I have the desire and motivation necessary to make the Henderson County School System the best it can be. I will bring a wealth of experience to the Board to accomplish this goal: Business, accounting, computers, human resources, cultural interaction, school system background, and military. With this wide ranging experience and dedication, I can provide the “Positive Leadership” to enable the Henderson County School System to serve each and every student and provide the foundation that each student needs to succeed.
Case: I would bring 47 years of teaching experience (all in Henderson County) to the Board. I have taught grades 7-12 and have volunteered in an elementary school since retirement in 2016. So, I am familiar with curriculum and the needs of students and teachers at many levels. I definitely want the school board to do everything possible to make our schools safe. I want our students, no matter what their learning level is to be challenged and prepared for the future and this will certainly include technology. I bring a passion for our students and their education.Caskey: I’m running for a seat on the School Board because we have all of the raw materials to have a top school system in Henderson County. As a lifelong educator — twice named Teacher of the Year, with 28 years of teaching experience, National Board Certification, three master’s degrees and a strong grant-writing and business background — I have the educational knowledge to help prepare students for the 21st century job market. We must offer a comprehensive vocational education program, because we are not doing that right now, and we must better prepare our college-bound students for the rigors of college coursework.Egolf: I currently have three children in the Henderson County Public Schools system and want them, and all other students, safe while at school and at the same time receiving the best education possible. I have lived in Henderson County and my family has operated successful businesses here since 1972. These years of experience have enabled me to learn to work with many different types of people. I love working with people. I love problem solving and negotiating. It’s what I do every day. I feel I would be an asset in promoting better collaboration between the other governing bodies of Henderson County, namely the Board of Commissioners and City Council members. Through all of this, I would hope to make a good school board, better.Holt: I would like to be reelected to the board because I really enjoy it. I feel like we have done a lot in the last 8 years that I have been on the board to bring our district forward including bringing technology into the classroom and preparing our students for the 21st century. We have really expanded our Career and Technical Program and have really advanced our efforts to get our students ready to enter the workforce. Not every child wants to enter a college program and we need to make sure that we are preparing them for the workforce and secure a good paying job in their future. 
The future of Hendersonville High School has been debated for five years now. Do you favor a Stillwell renovation/new construction option, all-new construction or something else? 
Holt: I have always favored a renovation of the Stillwell building with a combination of new construction for the rest of the campus. I feel like that is what most of that community wants and if we can stick within budget and listen to the community then it is a win/win situation for everyone. The budget is the budget and we need to do our best to stick to that figure. 
Egolf: Buildings don’t educate children. Teachers, administrators, processes and technology is what does. Having said this, the county has been working on this for over six years (the county first purchased the old Boyd dealership property in 2012). All stones needed to be uncovered before moving forward. I am 100 percent in favor of the current school board trying to solve this, and I think they will. I believe the answer lies in the current Stillwell renovation combined with new construction, this should be the most cost effective option. The overall construction bidding process is better. I believe, if you have people competing for your business, you typically get better results.
Caskey: It is clear to all of those familiar with Hendersonville High School that the facility must be modernized and expanded. Given the historic nature of the Stillwell Building, its importance to the HHS community and the renovations that have already taken place to that structure, the most practical approach is to completely renovate that building and to construct a new school using Stillwell as the centerpiece. For this to happen, the School Board must start reading contracts, they must interface better with both the County Commissioners and the architects, and they must stop wasting taxpayer money.Case: I heard the PFA/LS3P presentation and I am excited. I like the blended plan because the school will be modern but will keep some of their traditions and construction will be within designated financial limits. I think the current varsity gym will be a great auxiliary facility. The renovated Stillwell Building can be used for school and community. If I am a school board member, I want a signed contract stating finances, planned completion dates and a blueprint of what is included. Open communication between school board, county commissioners, architects, construction company is a must.Beddingfield: I favor a combination of Stillwell renovation and new construction for the other buildings. Economically and environmentally, this is the best path forward. Why waste a building that can be renovated and used for school purposes? This results in lower total cost, less waste to be landfilled, and less new material to be bought for a new building. The plan presented by PFA/LS3P accomplishes all of this by renovating Stillwell and then adding the necessary new construction to make a complete HHS campus. I will work hard to makes sure this project is successful and also apply the techniques to future facility improvements for the entire School System.   
Some people have said they favor allowing teachers, if properly trained, to have guns in the classroom. Are you in favor of or against allowing teachers to have firearms in classrooms? Beddingfield: I am against allowing teachers or other school staff to have firearms in the classrooms. Being trained to handle a firearm is not the same as being trained to engage and confront a hostile situation. Instead, everyone should be trained to work as a team to accomplish the task of confronting the problem (person or material) and securing all students and staff safely. Not everyone on this team needs a firearm, only the designated individual(s). In a volatile situation, it is hard to determine the good from the bad. I have been in that situation. Not everyone will ever have the necessary experience or proper training to handle a critical situation.Case: The key words in this question are “properly trained”. How much training does our law enforcement need to be prepared for a school disaster? Teachers are trained to teach and do not have the time to be trained to be a “campus policeman.” Watch the news and see how difficult it is for a trained policemen to know when to use their firearm. How would the public react if a teacher accidentally shot an innocent student (who was in the wrong place) thinking the student was the shooter? I am not in favor of teachers having guns in their classrooms.Caskey: I am completely against teachers carrying firearms in the classroom. We already have a clear and present danger to our students’ safety without introducing more weapons to the equation. West Henderson High, for instance, has roughly 24 separate entrances. Common sense solutions include trained SROs, more social workers, single entry systems, and metal detectors, not the knee-jerk response of arming teachers. We should also follow the Secret Service’s advice and stop school lockdowns! 92% of those killed in school shootings have been ‘sitting and waiting.’ I will work with experts to keep students safe with a well-organized, high-speed exit plan.Egolf: Proper fire arm training should include, clearing stoppages with either hand, drills that simulate malfunctions, emergency tactical reloading with either hand, manipulation of safeties and de-cocking levers with either hand. As well as range topics like low-light and judgmental (decision-making) shooting, shooting while moving to cover, one-handed firing, giving verbal challenges, firing and clearing malfunctions from various “officer down” positions and finally, engaging multiple targets. I personally don’t think teachers have time for the necessary training with all of their other responsibilities.
 
Holt: I am not in favor of letting every teacher who has a concealed carry permit bring a gun to class. I think that there are certain individuals who have been properly trained who would be able to, but it isn’t for everyone. We do have someone in our school system who is a retired police officer, I think he would be the perfect candidate to allow to conceal carry. It isn’t for everyone, though and if we allowed this it would have to carefully orchestrated so that we have ongoing training for these individuals. It is worth exploring and looking into. What is the most important thing the local School Board can do to increase the effectiveness of classroom teaching? 
Holt: Board of Education members are a governing body, they oversee the school system and develop budgets and policies. This task really doesn’t rest on the shoulders of the board of education members. We can work with senior staff to plan professional development and support programs that are effective tools for our teachers to use in the classroom. Teacher collaboration is really effective in our system and I have seen a lot of teachers use that to tweak the way they teach and become more effective. 
Egolf: I spent time with every principal of Henderson County’s 23 public schools. I did this so they could learn about me and what is important to me, and also, I could learn about them and their school. I found out each school has their own culture, wants and needs. This is determined by the different principals, teachers, other faculty and student body. What one school needs, another doesn’t, even though were in the same county. So my answer to this question is to continue visiting the schools, talking to the people involved and above all, LISTEN. That’s how you improve the effectiveness of classroom teaching.
Caskey: We have seen a recent shift in the N.C. General Assembly to prioritize public education, but there is a long way to go. North Carolina ranks 37th in teacher pay and 39th in per-pupil spending. Henderson County has some of the most dedicated and talented teachers in the state, but we must offer competitive salaries and incentivize post-graduate education. The more training and resources our teachers have, the better equipped they will be to help students succeed. Additionally, I know how to utilize creative methods of acquiring program funding. I delivered over $3 million in grants to my school systems.Case: To increase the effectiveness of classroom teachers the school board should be wise in their money budgeting. They need to keep updating technology and curriculum needs. Classroom teachers use their own money to buy supplies for their classrooms. Money should be budgeted for each teacher to buy needed materials for their teaching. Teachers also need to feel safe in their classroom with their students. The school safety committee has a good plan for accomplishing this but it needs to be completed, especially with SROs in every school, which has been budgeted but not accomplished. Teachers need to know they are appreciated!Beddingfield: Effectiveness in the classroom involves having qualified teachers, proper materials/equipment, good facilities, and the combination of all three to the betterment of the student. School System funding of teacher renewal and advanced learning opportunities, constant evaluation of facilities/equipment, removing of administrative work from the teacher, and strictly enforced discipline will greatly increase the effectiveness of classroom teaching. I will completely support all teachers by providing what the teachers need NOW, not LATER.    
What other major priorities do you have for the Henderson County public schools? 
Beddingfield: Major priorities are 1) Funding, whether it is on the state level to get a better funding system and for teacher salaries or on the Local level to get the proper funding for facilities, 2) Restoration of teacher assistant positions is a major priority, 3) All students should have the opportunity to enroll in any class offered without regard to class location or home school, 4) Annual reviews of future facility needs (current, 5yr, 10yr, and 20yr), thorough reviews of the budget vs the effectiveness of programs funded, 5) Completion of the Edneyville School project and the HHS project, and 6) Evaluating the success of the School Board in making “Children First” and preparing students for their future.Case: 1. Balance between our objective of educating our students with the best education and keeping our students safe. 2. I want our students to be prepared to reach their potential whether college bound or vocation (career) oriented. To reach this we must continue to update technology and keep evaluating curriculum needs. 3. If teachers develop a new idea (out of the box thinking) for helping students learn, then that should be considered. 4. Show a great appreciation for teachers, staffs, administrative leaders, parents, and community. It not only takes “a village to raise a child,” it also takes “a village to educate a child.”Caskey: Henderson County will never be among the top school systems in the state until they offer countywide pre-kindergarten. Pre-k is not daycare or preschool – it is an early literacy program designed for four-year-olds. Research concludes that by the time that students with a pre-k background reach 3rd grade, they outperform their classmates in every single subject. I will continue to advocate until each four-year-old child has access to pre-k. It’s easy to talk about things that you would like to see happen in Henderson County, but we need to elect someone who has a track record of getting things done.
Egolf: Schools in Henderson County, as a whole, are very good. I do see the need for added safety, especially in the high schools. Hendersonville (hopefully taken care of), West and East are too spread out with too many entrances and exits. I also think our culture as a whole believes that in order for a person to be successful, one needs to attend college. I do not believe this is true. Look at the automobile business, we always have ongoing training, but a 4-year degree is not necessary for a successful career. More work-based learning should occur at the high school level; Blue Ridge Community College does a great job with this.Holt: First and foremost, we must make our campuses more secure. We have started a safety assessment of all our grounds and have begun to make our facilities safer for students. We have begun the process of installing magnetic locks on all our high school campuses. We have also begun an analysis of our processes and procedures, so we can make our schools safer. We need to update several of our high schools and some of our elementary schools as well. I am looking forward to having all SROs hired and in place full time at every school.           Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

⚡️ VOTER GUIDE: House District 113 Q&A

Candidates for House District 113 are Democrat Sam Edney, 68, of Cedar Mountain, and incumbent Cody Henson, 26, of Rosman. Why are you running for the North Carolina Legislature? Edney: This election more than any in my lifetime is about values. We need a representative who cares about our people, not who will not put corporate tax cuts over children, teachers, and healthcare. Our taxes pay for Medicaid in other states while 100,000 NC kids aren’t covered. Our schools are nearly 40th in the country for funding. Many folks are one paycheck from being homeless. I grew up wearing hand-me-down clothes and eating food from the church, but I didn’t want that. Mountain people don’t want a handout – they want an opportunity. That’s why I am running. Henson: I am running because I love this state and our small corner of WNC. Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of working tirelessly to address the issues that we face in rural North Carolina. Together, we have accomplished many great things such as increasing teacher pay, investing more in education, delivering tax relief to hard working families and right sizing our state’s regulatory code. While we have accomplished a great deal, there is still much to do. We still have a great deal to do when it comes to education, regulatory reform, making our state more military and veteran friendly and school safety. There are six constitutional amendments on the ballot. Which ones do you favor and which ones do you oppose and why. Henson: I support all six of our constitutional amendments. Hunting and fishing is a way of life for many folks in WNC. That right should be enshrined and protected in our constitution. I believe we should expand the rights of victims to reach the victims of violent misdemeanors. I believe we should all want to protect the integrity of our elections by requiring that we all show a photo ID to prove that we are who we say we are. I believe that there is absolutely no reason our income tax should ever be higher than 7 percent. I believe our board of elections and ethics should be free from politics and not run by the same party of the Governor, whose elections they oversee. I also believe our judicial vacancy appointment process is horribly flawed and has been abused by governors of both parties and turned into political appointments, this amendment will provide oversight by the people’s elected representatives and still allow the Governor the power to appointment judges. These are just my opinions and why I will vote FOR all six amendments. I encourage everyone to read the proposed amendments and draw your own conclusions and vote your conscience. I personally don’t believe it is my job as a representative or candidate for re-election to try to persuade voters either way on this issue.
Edney: The problem with the proposed amendments on the ballot is that they don’t say how they’ll be implemented. Put it this way: would you sign a contract if you didn’t know how the contact worked? Our constitution is the bedrock of our government. Changing our constitution is serious. Every person I have spoken with supports the separation of powers - Republicans and Democrats. Two of the amendments have been opposed by both Republican and Democratic former Governors - all five who are alive. All six living former Supreme Court Justices from our Supreme Court have spoken out against them. All of these experienced men and women are concerned about the Separation of Powers. Our founders built in checks and balances to protect us from the abuse of power. We should all take heed. The Hunting and Fishing Amendment is unnecessary. I see no reason to vote for or against it. I have hunted and fished all my life. It is brazen for this General Assembly to put forth an Amendment for Victims Rights when they refused to uphold the rights of 15,000 victims of rape by refusing to fund the testing of the 15,000 untested rape kits. That is shameful. 3. Are you in favor of or opposed to expanding Medicaid in North Carolina to provide health care to more people? Why? Edney: Yes, I’m in favor of bringing our tax dollars back to NC to expand Medicaid. We’re sending our money to other states while 100,000 of our own children don’t have healthcare. NC health premiums are the second highest nationwide. Rural hospital birthing centers in Brevard and elsewhere have closed. If you live in Balsam Grove, it’s a two-hour drive to a birthing center. When a young couple starts a family, often they can’t afford health insurance. Forty percent of the children in foster care because of opioid addiction. Expanding Medicaid will close the insurance coverage gap and enable greater mental healthcare access. Henson: I am opposed to expanding Medicaid for two reasons. The first being that it would bankrupt our state and call for a massive tax increase. Medicaid expansion alone would cost $72 billion. Our current base budget is only $24 billion. While the federal government would pay for roughly $30 billion for Medicaid expansion, that money will eventually run out, leaving the state to pick up the tab. Second, Medicaid is already a flawed system. Adding more people to rolls will not improve it. We need to fix the issues with Medicaid before we inundate the system with more people.     4. The Republican leadership of the Legislature touts its record on teacher pay and smaller class sizes. “The average base salary for a teacher in North Carolina increased by $8,700, or nearly 20 percent, since the 2014 school year,” Senate leader Phil Berger said on Aug. 30. “More than 40,000 teachers – close to half of all public school teachers in the state – will have received at least a $10,000 pay raise by the 2018-19 school year. In fact, over a 30-year career, a teacher will earn $237,200 more on the 2018-19 salary schedule than he or she would have earned under the old Democrat plan.” Is the record Berger cites deserving of voters’ endorsement? Why or why not? Henson: Teacher pay has increased. In the late 2000s due to poor budgeting and a horrible tax code, when the recession hit, money had to be pulled from elsewhere and our state employees and teachers took the hit by some losing their jobs, some had pay freezes and some took pay cuts. Under Republican leadership, teachers have received 5 consecutive pay raises. Are we where we need to be on teacher pay? Absolutely not. Did we get into the fiscal mess of the late 2000’s overnight? No. We will not fix these issues overnight. I am committed to continuing this great work for not only our teachers but all of our state employees and our retirees. 
 Edney: The average teacher salary has risen 5% since 2009, but after adjusting for inflation, the real value is down 9.4%. Salaries begin $9,600 less than the national average, which has created a teacher shortage in North Carolina. Teachers in South Carolina make $10,000 more a year. Good teachers are leaving the state for better pay and benefits. Mr. Berger’s legislature has discouraged an entire generation from becoming educators. Enrollment is off by about 30% in teaching curriculums. Our children deserve a world-class, publicly funded education, but the General Assembly put corporate tax cuts over our children. What specifically are your highest priorities in the Legislature for serving your district? Edney: We need to invest in our schools so our children can get the education they deserve and opportunity to have a successful future. We need to Expand Medicaid to provide healthcare to 100,000 NC children. Too many families cannot afford insurance, and that hurts our kids. We need better jobs. Between 2000-2015, Transylvania, Henderson and Polk Counties were among the hardest hit for losing good-paying jobs. While the nation and the state saw middle-paying jobs grow about 5%, we lost 17-25% here. This General Assembly moved economic development resources to the Piedmont in 2013-14. It’s time to invest in the mountains. Henson: There are a host of issues that the next General Assembly will have to face and there isn’t really a “perfect” answer. One big issue is broadband access in rural areas. I believe that access to high speed internet is this generation’s equivalent to electricity. I do not believe that government is the answer but there is a role that we will all play in providing and facilitating for every household in North Carolina to have access to high speed internet. I will continue to fight to curb the burdensome regulations that keeps existing businesses from growing and new business to develop or relocate to our state.   What other major priorities do you have for your district and the state? Henson: My highest priorities are jobs and the economy, education and school safety and providing constituent services. This year we were able to secure funding for the Stop the Bleed pilot program to train teachers in Transylvania County to stop life threatening injuries. The economic success has been slow to arrive to much of WNC but we are beginning to see those benefits. We can begin to see more by teaching and preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow, expanding our CTE curriculum and fostering the partnership of our community colleges and businesses in our area.   Edney: We need to get money out of politics and focus on our people. I hear stories about how many people are one paycheck away from homelessness. No one working 40 hours a week should live in poverty. The focus in the Legislature goes to Charlotte and Raleigh, but we deserve the same attention and opportunity. Let’s invest in broadband internet to attract good industries, jobs, and better wages. I grew up here, owned businesses, served in public office, and worked with non-profits. I know what it means to set a budget and meet a payroll. We need that kind of leadership and experience to Raleigh.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

⚡️ VOTER GUIDE: House District 117 Q&A

Candidates for House District 117 are Democrat Gayle Kemp, 63, of Fletcher, and incumbent Chuck McGrady, 65, of Hendersonville, a Republican.   Why are you running for the North Carolina Legislature? Kemp: I am running because I love North Carolina and I couldn’t stand by any longer without working to shift the direction our state has taken. I love our children too much to sit still. New ideas, new blood, and a balanced representation of the people needs to happen before big business and lobbyists control everything we do and all that we stand for. I want a future that is filled with opportunities for all the people of North Carolina, and I want representation in our state house that listens to and reflects the needs of all our citizens.   McGrady: I’m running to complete my work on a wide range of issues for the people of Henderson County and Western North Carolina — issues I’m proud to say that I’ve already made tremendous progress on. And as a House budget chair, I’m privileged to be in a unique position to secure funding for projects here in Henderson County, WNC, and all across the state.   There are six constitutional amendments on the ballot. Which ones do you favor and which ones do you oppose and why? McGrady: Groups on the right are urging voters to vote for all of the amendments, and groups on the far left are urging voters to vote against all of them. I hope my constituents will ignore those calls and consider each proposed amendment on its own merits. I support the proposed Voter ID amendment, which 70% of people across the political spectrum do as well. As for the proposed “Rights of Victims of Crime” (also known as “Marsy’s Law”) and the “Right to Hunt, Fish, and Harvest Wildlife” amendments, one could support their intentions but also think they need not be included in the text of the state constitution. I’ll likely vote for the first but I’m still undecided on the second. As far as the proposed “Bipartisan State Board of Ethics and Elections Enforcement” amendment, a balanced, bipartisan, eight-member board would be a better way to make sure that our elections and ethics systems are administered in a fair manner, so I’m supporting this amendment. The proposed amendment for “Selection for Judicial Vacancies” may be the most controversial; that’s because it would fundamentally change the appointments process. My inclination is to vote against this particular amendment. Kemp: First, I oppose all six amendments. Amending the Constitution should not be done without time for citizens to consider the consequences of their votes. Rushing these amendments onto the ballot is a partisan stunt to get out the vote for the party in power. Second, the amendments are not necessary. Third, the proposed amendments do not tell the voter what the enabling legislation will be. In essence, the voter is signing a blank check. Specifically, I oppose the changes in the appointment process. Even Gov. McCrory joined four other governors to oppose this attack on our system of checks and balances. The party in power has made no bones about stripping executive and judicial power. That is just wrong. Furthermore, I am against requiring photo ID. The legislation passed by the party in power has been tested in the courts and has been soundly rejected. Taxpayers wasted millions of dollars in lawyer’s fees. The idea that there is a problem with voting that an amendment or legislation would fix is a false narrative. Our elections were audited when Governor McCrory lost and it was proven that there is not a problem that voter ID needs to fix.      Are you in favor of or opposed to expanding Medicaid in North Carolina to provide health care to more people? Why? Kemp: I’m in favor of expanding Medicaid for two reasons. If Medicaid is expanded, it’s estimated that up to 500,000 more people would have access to healthcare and an estimated 1,000 people per year would not die for lack of it. We are unable to fund care for those addicted to opioids without expansion. Secondly, we’ve lost millions of North Carolina income tax dollars to other states. Those unclaimed tax dollars could’ve been used to not only support our poorer citizens’ healthcare, but they could’ve helped grow well-paying healthcare jobs, increased hospital reimbursements, and supported rural health care facilities.     McGrady: Yes. If I am re-elected, I will co-sponsor legislation next year that improves access to quality healthcare by providing an option to lower-income working residents of North Carolina in a new health insurance product called “Carolina Cares.” It establishes a program for residents who are not currently eligible for Medicaid and have been left out of Obamacare. The program would not require the use of any existing state funds or impose any new tax increases, using a mix of premium payments and federal funds which the State can draw from to fund coverage for our uninsured population. The Republican leadership of the Legislature touts its record on teacher pay and smaller class sizes. “The average base salary for a teacher in North Carolina increased by $8,700, or nearly 20 percent, since the 2014 school year,” Senate leader Phil Berger said on Aug. 30. “More than 40,000 teachers – close to half of all public school teachers in the state – will have received at least a $10,000 pay raise by the 2018-19 school year. In fact, over a 30-year career, a teacher will earn $237,200 more on the 2018-19 salary schedule than he or she would have earned under the old Democrat plan.” Is the record Berger cites deserving of voters’ endorsement? Why or why not? McGrady: Yes. We’re in a much better place now than where we were before I was first elected. We’ve been able to pay teachers more because we first took strong measures to improve our state’s economy. Conservative fiscal policies (including tax reform) have led to record revenues, record employment, and record reserves. You can’t pay teachers more if you don’t have the money; thanks to what we’ve done, and what we will continue to do, I look forward to doing even more for them. I am very proud of my record on education, and I remain committed to doing even more. Kemp: I oppose Berger’s statement regarding education because it is, at best, misleading. Politifact rated it “mostly false.” The Legislature has not made up for teacher pay that was frozen during the great recession. Average teacher pay is still not as high as it was before the recession and is $10,000 less than the national average. This state still ranks 37th in teacher pay. Berger’s figures include local funding supplements which vary across the state. There has been no pay raise for experienced teachers. Bonuses cannot compensate for the inadequacy of teacher pay.      What specifically are your highest priorities in the Legislature for serving your district? Kemp: Health care has become a luxury that many can’t afford. Insurance premiums in our state are in the top ten highest in the country. I will fight to bring down the cost of health care and to make sure that paying for a health care emergency doesn’t lead to bankruptcy for working families. I want to see pre-K through high school public education fully funded, and I’m going to fight for additional funding for students who wish to continue in community and technical colleges. Raising teacher pay, providing teacher assistants, and school safety are at the top of the list of priorities.    McGrady: I have and always will put the needs of the people of Henderson County first: I believe my experience as a local elected official and in other leadership roles gives me a special understanding of our area’s needs. Some of the projects I’ve already secured major funding for will continue to have my attention. These include: 1) The WNC Medical School, 2) upgrading the Farmer’s Market, 3) improvements to the DuPont State Recreational Forest (which, along with Headwaters Site Forest, I helped make a reality), 4) continued Hemlock restoration efforts, and 5) Muddy Sneakers, an outdoor educational program for children. What other major priorities do you have for your district and the state? McGrady: In terms of statewide issues, a few priorities jump to mind. Last year, the legislature included my “Raise-the-Age” bill in the state budget, and I will continue my work to fully-fund the juvenile justice system. After my initial success in securing insurance coverage for children with autism, I will both push to expand that coverage to apply to a greater number of employers and to lift the annual cap in the state’s health plan. I’m also committed to breaking NC’s prohibition-era monopoly on alcohol sales and distribution. And I’ll continue to make independent redistricting a priority. Kemp: Protecting our environment is pivotal. It is also vital to our economy. Corporations that harm the environment should be held accountable. We need to stop giving them a free pass for polluting with toxins such as coal ash, while consumers suffer and pay for the cleanup. I support independent redistricting so that the practice of partisan and illegal racial gerrymandering comes to an end. I would also support laws that encourage citizens to vote rather than what’s happening now with various forms of voter suppression like closing polling stations, limiting hours and creating other obstacles such as voter identification.            Read Story »

Four Seasons Politics Archive

• ⚡️ VOTER GUIDE: Senate District 48 Q&A       Comments
• County's polling site was busiest in state on opening day of early voting       Comments
• Senator questions county native's experience in Senate Judiciary Committee hearing       Comments
• LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: A glimmer of hope for HHS       Comments
• School Board candidates largely agree on saving Stillwell, arming teachers       Comments
• FOUR SEASONS POLITICS: Campaign sign on senior steps doesn't last       Comments
• City holding five 'Council Conversations' this fall       Comments
• Once-rising star in local GOP sent to prison       Comments
• Sheriff honored with Order of the Long Leaf Pine       Comments
• School Board picks architects promising major Stillwell renovation       Comments
• School Board likely to pick HHS architect Friday       Comments
• Panel endorses current county architect for new HHS plans       Comments
• School Board will let voters fill vacant seat       Comments
• N.C. Transportation Board kills Balfour Parkway       Comments
• Democrats hope grassroots support can overcome Republican PAC money       Comments
• Don't miss this week's Lightning (5)       Comments
• Commissioners threaten to defund Sunday voting       Comments
• County eyes new rules for Courthouse gatherings       Comments
• It'll be the Thomas H. Thompson emergency services headquarters       Comments
• School Board to hire architect to explore HHS options       Comments
• Chris Collins, an HHS graduate in Congress, charged with insider trading       Comments
• County boots Boyd property sale       Comments
• LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Taking the script from Washington       Comments
• Democrat rips Meadows' Rosenstein threat as 'obstruction of justice'       Comments
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• ‘We the people’ tackle issues, form solutions       Comments
• District bar sends five judgeship nominees to governor       Comments
• Brooks’ promotion, Powell’s retirement
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• COUNTY KILLS HHS PLAN       Comments
• Let School Board decide HHS plan, mayors tell county       Comments