North Carolina teachers will see their average pay surge to nearly $55,000 for the first time in state history under a plan recently announced by Senate Republicans. If the proposal becomes law, average teacher pay will be up almost $10,000 – more than 20 percent – since the 2013-14 school year. According to the most current NEA data, North Carolina … Read More

In 2015, domestic travel to Cumberland County generated over $490 million in expenditures. Cumberland County’s tourism industry employs more than 4,290 people with a payroll of $89.15 million. Additionally, travel generated $35.7 million in state and local tax revenues, which represents a $108.39 tax savings to each county resident. These figures rank Cumberland County 10th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties … Read More

Since 2013, North Carolina has the #1 fastest growing economy in the nation, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis. The state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has seen a 13.4 percent increase since 2013. Since  2013, North Carolina has fostered an economic environment that has created more than 275,000 private sector … Read More

April 25th marked the beginning of the short session in the North Carolina Senate, and there is no shortage of work to be done. Over the past five years, Senate Republicans have focused on policies to strengthen our public education system, attract and retain businesses and jobs, and improve our state’s economy. This session, we look forward to building on the … Read More

The North Carolina Senate passed a new Congressional map on February 18th to comply with a federal trial court’s order, even though state leaders maintain the current map is constitutional. The map passed by the Senate: •Addresses the specific problem named by the federal trial court with the current map by removing race as criteria. •Addresses public calls for compact districts by … Read More

More military veterans are choosing to make North Carolina their home. North Carolina now has the 8th largest veteran population in the country according to statistics in a new report released by the new Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Veterans come to North Carolina with a desirable skill set,” Governor McCrory said. “They’re leaders, they know how to get … Read More

As 2015 comes to an end, I am thankful for the many blessings and opportunities we’ve had this year to improve our great state. I am grateful for my constituents’ trust and support and for my colleagues’ hard work and commitment to providing families and small businesses with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax relief, reforming the state’s chronically … Read More

I was recently presented with The Carolinas Concrete Paving Association “Good Roads Advocate Award” in Fayetteville. As co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for the Department of Transportation, I was able to assist in finding more than $700 million in new revenue for state transportation needs over the next two years, which represents a major increase in funding for road … Read More

The Governor’s Office has recently announced that key projects in District 19 will be completed sooner as a result of major transportation funding reforms passed by the General Assembly in 2015. These local projects are among an additional 92 highway projects that will be built and another 90 existing projects that will be sped up statewide, due to a long-term, comprehensive plan … Read More

On Saturday October 3rd, I was honored to be in attendance at the Fayetteville program of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, as they presented local veteran and Purple Heart recipient Emil Walsh with a Trak-Fab Tracked Wheelchair. A group of anonymous donors has provided the Trak-Fab Chair that will help give Emil the mobility to more freely participate in outdoor activities such … Read More