House District 17 covers the Leland area, and a corridor along Highway 17 downtown to the South Carolina border.
The candidates’ responses are presented without edits (except for formatting). Below are the responses from Democratic candidate Charles Jones.
What is your stance on abortion — and what, if any, changes would you make to existing state law which bans abortion after 12 weeks, with exceptions for fetal abnormalities, health of the mother, and rape/incest?
Government cannot stand in the way of medical decisions regarding a woman’s personal health or the health of her fetus. I will support legislation to restore the right to abortion that existed prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Robb case. While I would prefer a national law that achieves this end, I will fight to gain passage of state legislation that accomplishes the same goal in North Carolina.
What steps will you take to help create more affordable housing in your role in the legislature?
Affordable housing is a critical need in my district, where the average price for a new home can be $450,000. As a member of the state legislature, I will support proposals creating incentives for developers in North Carolina to build affordable housing. And along those lines, I will also support Josh Stein’s proposals for no-cost community college for students pursuing careers in growing, high-demand industries, helping make sure young people make their homes in our state and creating a market for affordable housing.
How will you address homelessness in your role in state government?
I believe our legislature is not doing enough to support the economic well-being of its poorer residents — particularly the homeless. It has not raised the statewide minimum wage of $7.25/hour since 2008. And the state legislature has failed to provide adequate mental health services to the homeless. If elected, I will vote to increase the minimum wage and provide state-sponsored help for the homeless.
What’s your stance on funding public education? Specifically, what changes, if any, would you support for per-pupil funding, the private school voucher program, and accepting federal funding?
First, we must repeal the ill-conceived law that provides vouchers for students to attend unaccountable private schools at the expense of our public schools. Second, we must heed the state supreme court’s decision in the Leandro case, fully funding our public schools at levels consistent with our state constitution. Finally, we must support the candidacy of Mo Green to be superintendent of public education, and if elected, his recommendations to improve public education in our state.
What changes, if any, would you make to funding for transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) and public transportation (like WAVE)?
My primary infrastructure goal as a legislator is to make sure we receive timely and adequate funding to construct a new bridge to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, and to do it without imposing an onerous burden on voters in my district in the form of a toll. Unlike my opponent, I intend to be fully involved in the decisions regarding a new bridge.
Would you support an independent commission to draw legislative boundaries? Why or why not?
I favor the creation of an impartial, independent body for North Carolina. Gerrymandering by either Democrats or Republicans is a violation of citizens’ voting rights and should be abolished. Today, 21 states have some form of independent body to create voting districts that properly reflect changes in population as reported by the census every decade. We need to add North Carolina to that list.
Would you work to repeal the state law that says you are your public records' custodian? If not, why do you believe you should be exempt from the public records laws that apply to so many other local and state officials?
I believe in transparency. The law blocking access to properly public records is ill-informed and not representative of democratic ideals. I support its repeal.