With the North Carolina House of Representatives wrapped up their debate on Senate Bill 105, the 2021 Appropriations Act, I have recently been able to turn my attention to other matters on your behalf.
Following are a few highlights of legislative activity over the last few weeks in which I thought you might have the most interest.
To get legislative news closer to the time it's happening, be sure to follow me on Facebook or frequently visit my website.
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Chuck Edwards, Senator
NC District 48
Representing Henderson, Transylvania, and Buncombe Counties
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The Fight For Non-Discriminatory Curricula |
Critical Race Theory has become one of the toughest, yet most sensitive, topics I have encountered since serving in the General Assembly. It is one of the topics where citizens have inundated my office for the past several weeks. Hundreds of you have called me or emailed me with your concerns that this proposed high school curriculum creates even greater racial divides when we should be working to heal the wounds from our ugly past instead.
I believe that public schools must accurately teach students about all of our nation’s history. The good, the bad, and the ugly - including the cruelties of slavery and the Jim Crow Era. However, I also believe that students must not be forced to adopt an ideology separate from history that attacks who they are as a person.
Given the push for Critical Race Theory in our current school system, the North Carolina Senate began deliberation of, and passed, a rebuttal - House Bill 324, entitled 'Ensuring Dignity and Non Discrimination in Schools'.
Before I tell you what this does, let me tell you what it does not do. This bill does not prevent the teaching of our history from a factual point of view. The bill does not prevent our students from learning about the discriminatory actions of our ancestors. And this bill does not avoid hard conversations about the history of racism and how it’s affected so many cultures in our nation.
Instead, this bill does help fight off the dangers of Critical Race Theory by addressing anti-discrimination, as it prevents public schools from compelling students to affirm several discriminatory concepts; including the concept that:
- One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex
- An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive
- An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex
- A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist
- Particular character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs should be ascribed to a race, sex, or an individual because of the individual’s race or sex
It’s time we become proactive on this type of legislation to protect our students, and HB 324 does just that. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County and Durham County have both authorized and endorsed Critical Race Theory, citing how it is essential to discuss white privilege and how white people can support antiracism; however, Critical Race Theory teaches that the only remedy for past discrimination is present discrimination. It teaches children to view the world and everyone in it through the lens of race – that race and power define everything.
Every student should be taught that they can achieve anything and be anything. Teaching Critical Race Theory in the classroom will limit this idea to children and should not be tolerated.
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Expedite Permanency of Foster Care Placements: SB 693 |
The Governor has now signed one of my primary bills this session. When first running for office, I never expected I would become so involved in child protective services issues; however, the problems I've discovered about NC's shortcomings and how this State has failed our most vulnerable citizens have led me to be fully engaged on the issue.
That is why I helped in the formation of Senate Bill 693, Expedite Child Safety and Permanency. This bill addresses numerous weaknesses in the North Carolina Foster Care system - specifically addressing the way children in emergency situations or who have been removed from their previous placement are processed and replaced. HB 693 expedites permanency placement for children who have been removed from their previous home; amends abuse, neglect, and dependency laws to ensure child safety in out-of-home placements; establishes a hotline for child welfare intake; and develops and implements a plan to provide care for children in need of mental health services, among so much more.
Senate Bill 693 successfully passed through the House and was unanimously concurred in the Senate this month, sending it to Governor Cooper. Although Governor Cooper had previously vetoed a bill similar in nature to SB 693, the prominent importance of child safety in the foster care system proved to usurp previous beliefs and resulted in the signing of SB 693 into law on the first of September. This bill will have enormous improvements on the experiences and welfare of children throughout North Carolina's foster care system. I am eager to see the successes of its' implementation.
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Governor Veto of Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal |
August proved to be a whirlwind for 2nd Amendment rights. Earlier this month, I presented HB 398 on the Senate Floor. This bill would repeal the current North Carolina Pistol Purchase Permit requirement and finally eliminate Jim Crow-era laws imposed to prevent the exercise of 2nd Amendment rights by minorities. By a 27-20 party-line vote, HB 398 was passed through the Senate. No Democrats voted in favor of the bill despite their self-proclaimed 'dedication' towards ending discrimination.
Following Senate approval, the bill was sent to Governor Cooper for review and, mirroring that of his parties' internally motivated interest in securing equal rights for all citizens at the benefit of their personal platform, rather than for the sake of ensuring citizens have equal access to their guaranteed civil rights and liberties, Governor Cooper vetoed the bill. This veto was a huge loss for all 2nd Amendment advocates, all minorities who are disproportionately rejected for permits at a rate three times that of white applicants, and all individuals fighting for racial equity today. Governor Cooper and the Democratic party must do better. Equality is not reserved for times when it most benefits them. If they truly cared about securing civil liberties for all, HB 398 would have passed unanimously and Governor Cooper would have approved the bill.
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Affordable Healthcare for Small Businesses: SB 228 |
Shortly after I was first elected into office, I began work on bringing affordable health insurance to small businesses across the State of North Carolina. This effort has now yielded the passage of SB 228 - Allow Employers to Offer EPO Benefit Plans.
SB 228 bridges the gap between small and big businesses in the State by finally allowing small businesses to offer exclusive provider benefit plans to their employees; an insurance opportunity already afforded to big businesses.
Under an EPO benefit plan, insured individuals receive covered services from health care providers who are under contract with the insurer. This program cuts employer costs substantially, with some reports reaching up to 20% in savings, and helps small businesses afford high-quality insurance for their employees.
The bill passed through the House and was Concurred in the Senate during the last week of August. It has now been sent to the Governor for approval.
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Appeal Affirms the Separation of Powers |
The State of North Carolina’s voting rights risked unprecedented expansion to include convicted felons following a verbal decision issued in the case of CSI vs Moore at the beginning of August. Convicted felons haven’t been able to cast a vote in North Carolina since they were disenfranchised back in 1876. In 1973, a Democratic legislature passed a law outlining when and how felons can regain the right to vote; however, the Courts’ 2-1 decision tried to substitute the preferred policy outcome of two judges for the policy passed into law by an entire legislature in 1973.
North Carolina Attorney General, Josh Stein, refused to file an appeal in the case, which led to legislators firing him and hiring a new attorney. The new attorney filed an appeal and on September 3, the North Carolina Court of Appeals blocked the lower court's decision, preserving the procedure for convicted felons to regain voting rights as determined in the 1973 law. This decision reaffirms the separation of powers and certifies that judges can't just replace laws with new ones according to their personal beliefs. The lower court's decision is now fully blocked as a full appeal of the ruling proceeds.
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County and City School Board Reform |
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Over two years ago I began working with the Asheville mayor on reforming the Asheville City Board of Education. I am happy to see the Mayor and City Council have finally come to agree with me on the need for school board reformation and am pleased to say that HB 400 addresses the desperate changes necessary in the Asheville City school system.
HB 400 increases the Asheville City Board of Education from 5 members to 7 members and changes the School Board from being appointed by Asheville City Council to being elected by the citizens of Asheville. This brings the vote back home to community members and out of the hands of the City Council.
To further improve the district, I have introduced an amendment to HB 400 that reforms the way the County School Board is elected. My amendment requires all Buncombe County School Board members to be voted into office by members of their district, rather than at large by the whole county. This amendment brings the vote closer to home, makes school board members more accessible to their voters and understanding of their needs, and ultimately offers more power to the voters. Your vote is no longer diluted by citizens outside of your district and your district finally gets to decide who represents you on the County School Board! I look forward to advocating for this bill to become law in the coming weeks and am confident in the benefits it provides to education and the community in Buncombe County.
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Meet Heather Millett, My New Legislative Assistant |
I am excited and pleased to announce that Heather Millett has joined the District 48 team here in Raleigh.
Heather is originally from Wingate, North Carolina, and graduated from Campbell University in December of 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is currently attending American University’s Master of Public Administration and Policy program and is expected to graduate in December 2021.
Heather has extensive local government experience, including working for the town of Lillington, NC, but she is excited to branch out into state government and is already making a positive contribution to my office and for our district.
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