LUMBERTON — While there was good and bad for Robeson County residents during the eight-month-plus legislative session that ended last week, Robeson County’s five lawmakers say this county overall did well compared when compared with others.
“There were even some shining moments when we showed the citizens and voters of North Carolina that we could work in a bi-partisan manner,” said Rep. Garland Pierce, the delegation’s senior member. “The citizens and voters want us to do the right thing as a legislative body and work together to make North Carolina a better place to live.”
Pierce and the other members of the local delegation, Reps. Charles Graham, Ken Waddell, Ken Goodman and Sen. Jane Smith, are all Democrats, making the session challenging since the Republican Party controls the House, Senate and governor’s mansion.
“As the minority party we had stuff pushed by us, like it or not,” Graham said. “But I understand that, and overall by working with members of the majority party we were able to keep to much of our agenda of strong support for education, the middle class, and less taxes.”
According to the legislators, Robeson County will significantly benefit from a new $84.8 million sales tax fund from which additional sales tax revenue will be distributed to 79 counties. Robeson will receive 3 percent of that fund, or approximately $2 million each year, with the potential for that amount to grow. That money can be used for education and economic development.
Robeson County would also benefit from a bond referendum to be put before the voters in March, according to the legislators. If voters approve the bonds, The University of North Carolina will receive $23 million for building a business school; Robeson Community College will get about $7 million for new construction and renovations of buildings; and Lumber River State Park will receive about $2.5 million to expand its reach to property that was once part of the N.C. Indian Cultural Center.
Legislation providing incentives for businesses looking to locate in North Carolina should help economic growth in Robeson and surrounding counties, the legislators said. According to Smith, who has years of economic development experience, the incentives package will make North Carolina “once again competitive in business recruitment.”
Waddell also said that North Carolina needs to pay more attention to maintaining infrastructure, including roads and public buildings.
“Like roads, it’s going to cost lots more if we don’t keep our public buildings up,” he said.
Education was a big issue during the session. Although they didn’t get everything they hoped for, the local legislators said things are moving in the right direction.
Maintaining teacher assistants in the budget will help Robeson County, said Goodman, but instead of a one-time $750 bonus for teachers and other state employees there should have been an increase in salary across the board, he said.
“State retirees also should have received a cost of living increase,” he said.
All the legislators said they were glad to see that medical expenses can once again be deducted from one’s personal income tax.
“This includes no cap on the deduction,” Waddell said.
Pierce, as did the other legislators, told The Robesonian that the new budget has too many fees.
“These fees are really taxes,” he said. “Putting new fees on things that were not previously taxed puts a real burden on the lower income, elderly and disabled members of the community.”
Pierce and Smith also lauded legislation approving the sale of ElectriCities assets to Duke Energy/Progress that will result in lower electric rates for Lumberton and Red Springs customers.
“This will save money in people’s pockets,” Pierce said.
The legislators each mentioned bills that they had sponsored or strongly supported that will serve Robeson County. They include:
— Smith and Graham’s bill to get tuition waived for children who have police officers, first responders, emergency personnel and firefighters as custodial guardians to attend the UNC system or state community college system.
— Graham and Smith’s bill to encourage medical personnel to discuss the symptoms of diabetes with parents of young children.
— Graham’s bill aimed at reducing recidivism in the prison population. He said the bill requires a consolidation and hearing of any charges pending against an inmate before they are released from prison.
— Reinstatement of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit, which legislators say will boost the preservation of downtowns such as Lumberton.
All of Robeson County’s delegation said they are glad to see the longest session since 2001 end.
“It was too long. There were too many social issues distracting us from the issues of creating jobs and supporting education,” Goodman said. “The longer we stay, the more of a chance there is to create mischief by creating legislation that serves one’s special interest.”
Pierce called for a cap to be put on legislative sessions.
“We are citizens legislators, not professional legislators,” he said.
