The Issues

I got my first gun when I was 10 years old. My grandmother taught me how to squirrel hunt, and I've appreciated the value of a firearm since that time. My work in law enforcement with the Pamlico County Sherriff's Office taught me the benefits of citizens being able to protect themselves with a firearm. I wholeheartedly support the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution which states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." I have been endorsed by the NRA since taking office, and I am a lifetime member. I also have been endorsed by Grassroots North Carolina. I do not believe the government should infringe upon our rights to keep and bear arms, and I have supported every gun rights bill in the General Assembly during my tenure there.

From my start in the workforce at age five on my family farm (I was paid a few pennies each week) to my first "official" job driving a tobacco truck from the warehouse to the packing facility to my time as a small business owner, I have seen the value of having a good job to support my family. Job creation is based upon three things: 1. Reduction of regulations for businesses and industries, 2. Lower taxes on job creators, and 3. Proper training for success on the job. I have sponsored legislation to accomplish all of these things and more. I believe our state should offer even more tax incentives for businesses to go into Tier 1 counties. A lack of broadband is one of the biggest hinderances we're facing in our Tier 1 counties, and my colleagues and I have been diligently working on this issue and making great progress in partnership with our local electric cooperatives by investing over $1 Billion for high-speed rural broadband. Also, under Republican leadership, CNBC rated North Carolina No. 1 as America's Top States for Business in both 2022 and 2023. The Tax Foundation ranked North Carolina 10th out of 50 in the state business tax climate rankings, up from 44th in 2014. 

Both the farming and fishing industries are key job creators in Eastern North Carolina. I understand the value of both having grown up on a family farm and having lived in Pamlico County and represented Carteret County where commercial fishing and recreational fishing are important to our livelihood. I co-sponsored the last two farm bills which addressed the onerous regulations that hinder farmers and many other businesses. I was the primary sponsor on a bill known as the "Oyster Bill", expanding the oyster industry in NC and providing $1 million for loans to those who want to start oyster sanctuaries. I was also the primary sponsor of a bill that reorganized the NC Division of Marine Fisheries to make decision-making less politically driven and more scientifically based.

Since I have been in office starting in 2013, our Republican-led legislature has steadily reduced by personal taxes and corporate taxes. Our state is headed in a direction to get rid of all corporate taxes so that North Carolina will be one of the tops states to attract businesses and thus jobs. When I first took office, the NC personal income tax rate was 7.75%. It's now 4.75% with plans to reduce this even more. NC's flat corporate tax rate of 2.5% if the lowest in the country, down from 6.90% in 2010 when Democrats were in power in the legislature. We are headed in the right direction! 

The Republican-led legislature has passed budgets to give teaches a pay raise each of the last eleven consecutive years. Over the FY 2023-2025 biennium, teachers will receive an average pay increase of 7%, including state-funded teacher supplements. To make starting teacher pay in North Carolina competitive with our southeastern neighbors, beginning teacher pay will increase from $37,000 to $39,000 in FYI 2023-2024 and will jump to $41,000 in FY 2024-2025. I support providing matching state government funds for teacher supplements given by Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties in order to help retain teachers. We allocated $200 million in recurring funds for a state-funded teacher salary supplement focused on low-wealth counties to help them compete with wealthier counties when recruiting teachers. This is a $30 million increase since the last biennium budget was passed. I also believe educational initiatives in our area would benefit from broadband expansion, and we set aside $1 billion for broadband expansion, particularly in Tier 1 counties, where work has now begun. I also believe that additional state lottery funds should be used to provide forgivable loans to Tier 1 counties to help them build schools. My colleagues and I also passed the NC Promise program, giving North Carolina students access to more affordable public higher education options. Due to the success of NC Promise, we appropriated an additional $15 million in FY2021-2022 and up to $20 million in FY2022-2023 to the program.  

I believe it is important to protect our towns and cities from illegal immigrants who have criminal intent. I was the original sponsor of a bill ordering North Carolina sheriffs to note the immigration status of jail inmates and assist federal agents who want to detain them. I also believe in parents of school students being given the opportunity for school choice. I believe in the sanctity of human life and have co-sponsored the Heartbeat Bill and the Born-Alive Bill. I have co-sponsored Right to Worship laws which prevent government entities from closing places of worship at will. I believe it is important to support and fund our law enforcement and other first responders. I co-sponsored the Critical Race Theory bill to prevent school personnel from the racially-motived indoctrination of our public school students. I believe that voting integrity is key to a free society, and I have co-sponsored legislation since I took office to implement Voter ID. Thankfully this is now in place to protect the integrity of our elections. I also believe in transparency at all levels of government and filed Senate Bill 254, the Government Transparency Act, in 2023 to increase government accountability and hiring practices. I had the honor of winning the 2015 William C. Lassiter Award from the NC Press Association for fighting for transparency in government.