NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 104
The North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House of Representatives consists of 120 members who serve a term of two years. Each member represents an average of 87,116 residents *, as of the 2020 Census . The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the Senate President pro-tem. The Speaker is elected by the members from their membership for a two-year term. The Speaker’s duties include maintaining order in the House and appointing members to the House standing committees.The North Carolina General Assembly, of which the House is a part, is to convene a new regular session every two years, and the dates for these sessions are set by law. The NC legislature makes decisions on the budget: taxes, tax credits, economic development, education funding, Pre-K, the courts, Medicaid, etc. It also passes laws that set environmental standards such as water and air quality, tax rates, tax credits, criminal justice. Legislators in both chambers serve two-year terms without term limits. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.* https://ballotpedia.org/Population_represented_by_state_legislators
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Trina Boyd
(REP)
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Brandon Lofton
(DEM)
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What do you see as your most important priority if you are elected? (Max. 750 characters)
What are your views and priorities on how education policy and funding issues should be addressed in the coming year? (Max. 750 characters)
What role do you believe tax policy should play in supporting North Carolina’s economy and addressing the needs of its residents? (Max 750 characters)
What changes to the laws in our state would you promote to improve safety in our communities? (Max. 750 characters)
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Position/philosophy statement
NC House District 104
Current Occupation
attorney
I currently represent District 104 in the NC House, where I serve as Legislative Chair for the minority party and co-chair the bipartisan Early Childhood Caucus. I was appointed by the Governor to the Blue Ribbon Commission for Public Education. I was also appointed to the Legislative Advisory Council for the Southern Region Education Board and was previously appointed to chair the NC Courts Commission. Prior to elected office, I served on a number of community boards, including the Levine Museum for the New South and chaired the board for the Council for Children’s Rights.
The most important job of the legislature is to adopt a state budget that meets the needs of the moment and invests in a stronger future. According to OSBM, the recently enacted budget will reduce state revenue by $7 billion over the next 8 years and result in annual deficits (starting at $1.1 billion in 2028 and growing to $4.2 billion in 2034). This means fewer resources for schools, public safety and infrastructure investments. I will work to push for timely budgets that invest in our teachers, address the needs of our communities and strengthen our state.
When my youngest son was in 9th grade, his math teacher quit. For the rest of the semester, he and his classmates had to watch the teacher from across the hall on zoom (who would come into the room at the end of class to take questions) because his school could not find a replacement. We owe it to every child in North Carolina to ensure they have access to a high quality teacher. That requires investing in teacher pay and other education professionals we rely on to help our kids. This must be a top priority in our state’s budget.
We must keep taxes as low as possible so that we more North Carolina families take home and keep more of their income and so our state remains competitive for business. At the same time, we must also ensure we are bringing in enough revenue to meet the needs of North Carolina families and protect our quality of life. As the third fastest growing state in the nation, it is irresponsible to adopt and lock in tax policies that tie our hands and prevent us from adequately funding our schools, public safety and other essential services.
As a member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for Public Safety, I’ve heard repeated testimony from state law enforcement and investigation agencies that they are suffering from staffing and resource shortages. We are failing to adequately fund people and positions we count on to keep us safe. The most important thing we can do to improve public safety is to attract and retain the best law enforcement personnel. That requires investment.
We are at an important crossroads in our state and our nation. We must decide who we are going to be. We can be the number one state to raise a family. We can be the number one state for education. We can be a state that enacts thoughtful, forward-looking policies that invest in a stronger future. But our politics must reflect these goals and values.
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