Republican Susan Chapman and Democrat Frances Jackson are running for the N.C. House District 45 seat.
The seat is currently held by John Szoka, who is running for an at-large seat on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
CityView asked the candidates about several issues facing the community. Here are their answers.
Susan Chapman
Chapman did not respond to the questionnaire.
Frances Jackson
Age: Did not respond
Occupation: Educator
Elected offices held: N/A
What are your top three legislative priorities? And what will you do to address them?
Education: Teachers paid for experience. A well-educated community leads to reducing crime, lower taxes and a prosperous community. Resolve: Fully fund schools, create a pipeline for teacher assistants to become educators, pay educators based on experience and raise the starting pay for teachers.
Health care: Expand Medicaid and lower (the cost of) prescription drugs. Resolve: Support expanding Medicaid.
Environment: Safe drinking water. I would encourage the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality to increase restrictions on permits issued to discharge pollutants into our drinking water and limit permits issued.
Abortion has become an even more divisive topic since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, allowing many states to put more restrictions on the procedure and prompting legislators on both sides of the issue to move toward federal legislation. Some say abortion should be banned; some say it should be limited; others say it should be a woman’s choice guided by her own convictions and circumstances. Where do you stand on the issue of abortion? Do you support restrictions and, if so, what types of restrictions? Or do you think abortion should be a personal decision?
I support a woman's right to choose.
Some states have moved to put more restrictions on school curriculum, what teachers can say in the classroom and the types of books available in public schools and libraries. Do you think restrictions of this type are needed? If so, what specific guidelines on curriculum, teaching and books would you support? What do you think parents’ role should be in this debate?
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the curriculum specialists in each subject and grade level are the professionals in this area.
