Name as it appears on the ballot: Allen Buansi 

Age: 37 

Party affiliation: Democrat 

Campaign website: allenbuansi.com  

Occupation & employer: Attorney, Poyner Spruill 

Years lived in North Carolina: 23 

1. What in your background qualifies you to represent the people of your North Carolina  district effectively? What would you cite as your three biggest career accomplishments? 

I am a proud product of Orange County, and I have developed experience and leadership right  here in my home state. I am a lawyer who has worked in civil rights and in local government  law. I have served in the state legislature since 2022 as a co-chair of the House Democratic  Freshman Caucus. Before that, I served on the Chapel Hill Town Council. What I am most proud  of is being a husband and father of three. 

Driving me is a vision for North Carolina as an affordable, accessible and inclusive state for  everyone. There is still so much work with my colleagues to be done, from fully supporting  public education to making life more affordable for folks and families to fighting climate change  and more. I am as committed to this work as ever. 

Thus far, my three biggest career accomplishments in elected office include the following:  

• Passing legislation to enact Medicaid Expansion, to increase access to quality healthcare  for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians.  

• Introducing and getting legislation passed to create the “Home of the Venus Flytrap”  license plate to support research and protection of a renowned plant native only to North  Carolina and South Carolina.

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• The creation of the Training for Action and Progress (TAP) program in 2018, which  recruits and prepares young people and people of color for public service, including town  advisory boards and elected office.  

2. What do you believe to be the three most pressing issues facing the next General  Assembly? What steps do you believe the state should take to address them? 

I believe the three of the most pressing issues facing the next General Assembly include: (1)  public education, (2) healthcare access and (3) climate change. 

Public education. Public schools are severely underfunded. This year alone, public schools in  our district have faced over $1 million in lost funding from the state. Meanwhile, the  Republican-led General Assembly has funded private school vouchers with hundreds of millions  of taxpayer dollars, at the expense of public schools. Toward the ultimate goal of fully  supporting our public schools and children, I will continue to support legislation that would do  the following: increase teacher pay significantly; provide a school nurse in every school; invest  in more positions for school social workers and counselors; introduce a bond for citizens in  North Carolina to vote on, to start addressing some of the $13 billion in needed school repairs  across the state; ensure no child, staff or teacher is targeted because of their identity; and more  fully address the needs of our students with intellectual and developmental disabilities 

Healthcare access. Even in a community like Chapel Hill and Carrboro, which has world-class  healthcare, disparities in access persist. One of my proudest accomplishments was to support and  vote for Medicaid Expansion which finally passed in 2023. But there is more work to do, and  additional steps we can take to reduce disparities in healthcare access include: (1) increasing  funding for our local departments of public health services, so they each can provide  preventative services, OB-GYNs and family planning services; (2) protecting reproductive rights  including access to abortion care; and (3) restoring North Carolina’s Earned Income Tax Credit,  so working families do not have to make hard choices between paying for healthcare, life-saving  medications and other basic necessities. 

Climate change. North Carolina has been severely impacted by climate change in recent years,  from hurricanes to severe flooding to hotter seasons. Disaster relief and ensuring communities can rebuild in ways to be more resilient are key objectives; we have an ongoing responsibility to  communities impacted by disasters such as Hurricanes Helene and Matthew. We can take steps  such as: (1) actively supporting clean, renewable energy, like solar and wind, to increase our  energy independence and create good-paying jobs; (2) repealing a law that prohibits NCDOT’s  financial support to towns for standalone bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects; and (3) putting into legislation Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 246 and its direction to state  agencies to incorporate environmental justice in agencies’ decisions and work. 

3. To what extent do you support municipalities exerting local control over issues such as  regulating greenhouse gas emissions, criminal justice reforms and police oversight, and  passing development-regulating ordinances? 

One of the reasons why I ran for office is to empower local governments to provide better for  their residents. I have a great deal of experience in municipal law, having served on the Chapel  Hill Town Council, taught a law school course on municipal law and practiced in this area of law  as an attorney. I have seen up close how the General Assembly has constrained towns and  counties. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions  

In 2023, the General Assembly passed legislation that prevents towns and counties from enacting  ordinances that restrict energy service based on the type or source of energy. Other Democratic  colleagues and I opposed this legislation, and Governor Cooper vetoed this legislation. However,  it still passed over the veto, thanks to Republicans’ supermajority in the General Assembly. In  the same year, the General Assembly also passed legislation prohibiting towns from enacting  ordinances banning plastic bags and single-use plastics, over the opposition of Democratic state  legislators and the Governor. Towns and counties should have authority over energy service, at  least to some degree, to improve the resilience of their own communities.  

Criminal Justice Reform and Policing 

Over 1 million drivers in North Carolina have had their driver’s licenses suspended for  nonpayment of court debt, and over a 20-year span, court fees have risen by over 400 percent. In  the General Assembly, I supported legislation to reform criminal justice debt, so (1) a court can  determine the defendant’s ability to pay any costs assessed and weigh that determination when  assessing and collecting the costs listed in the law; (2) certain court costs and fees are reduced;  

and (3) prohibit the revocation of a driver’s license simply due to failure to pay a court cost or  fee, along with other reforms. 

Our state should also support community-based policing approaches in every community. Law  enforcement does a hard job, and community-based approaches can effectively mobilize and  involve community leaders in concert with law enforcement. Providing funding for crisis  counselors to respond to situations that do not require law enforcement presence would help  communities too. A community-based approach also invests in the prevention of youth violence  and promotes restorative justice practices as opposed to simply increasing penalties.  

There is currently no state funding for after-school programs in North Carolina, despite the over  600,000 children in need of them. Providing funding to support after school programming to  engage all youth is a must. Supporting job growth and improving the availability of affordable,  safe housing especially in vulnerable areas are all measures that can help reduce and prevent  crime.  

Development-Regulating Reforms  

Local governments are constrained in providing affordable housing, transit-oriented development  and using environmental protections to more effectively combat climate change. We need action  to empower local governments with needed tools, including development regulations. For  example, Session Law 2018-145 prohibited local governments from requiring stormwater  controls for existing impervious areas (e.g., parking lot and street surfaces). It is much harder for  water drain in impervious areas, and so water is prone run off and flood lower lying areas. This  exacerbates conditions for residents in low-lying lands and areas, who are more easily flooded  with this runoff. We need to restore this regulatory authority to local governments, so they can  better protect vulnerable residents in low-lying areas from flooding. Next, we need greater  protections for residents of manufactured home parks to better ensure housing stability. These  residents are particularly vulnerable to displacement without other housing options. 

The following measures passed the State House in previous sessions, and they may be reintroduced in the coming sessions. They would restrict local government authority when it  comes to affordable housing, regulating erosion control, tree canopies and traffic.  

Past legislation has been introduced that would limit the use of conditional zoning if a project  contained affordable housing. This measure would tie the hands of local officials when trying to  work with developers and neighbors in planning for affordable housing that is harmonious with  the surrounding neighborhood.  

Another piece of legislation would have prohibited local governments from requiring tree  surveys as part of the approval process for developments and from requiring certain road designs  and erosion control measures. This impacts important local aims for tree preservation, traffic  management and safety and protecting natural ecosystems.  

4. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so, by how much?  

Yes, I support an increase in the minimum wage in North Carolina to at least $15 per hour. I  cosponsored the Working Families Act in 2023, along with all my other House Democratic  colleagues to do just that. Seven states have already implemented a $15 per hour minimum wage  and one other will reach that milestone in the next four years. There is no reason why we cannot  and should not pursue the same change that would greatly improve the lives of low-income and  working-class people and families in North Carolina.  

Many businesses have already undertaken efforts to recruit workers with higher pay. I would  work to implement this increase through a similar framework as California and New York,  which each used a phased-in approach. California’s phased-in approach involved a five- year  runway between passage of its wage increase and implementation for two classes of employers.  Employers with 26 or more employees had to adopt a $15 minimum wage starting in January  2022, while employers with 25 or fewer employees must adopt a $15 minimum wage starting in  January 2023. Meanwhile, New York’s phased-in approach is marked by different transition  periods for different regions of the state and differently sized employers. Determining the best  phased-in approach for North Carolina must include engaging with stakeholders, such as  workers’ rights advocates, unions, business leaders and others to determine the best timeframe for a $15 minimum wage increase for employers in urban, suburban and rural areas. I would  push for an increase as soon as possible.  

5. What, if anything, should the state legislature do to address the growing affordability  crisis and support low-income families in North Carolina? 

As a start, the General Assembly should: (1) increase the budget appropriations for community  development corporations, so they can help provide much needed housing for low-income and  working-class people and in doing so, relieve some of the burden on local governments; and (2)  increase funding to the North Carolina Housing Trust, so the North Carolina Housing Finance  Agency can effectively distribute significantly more money to support affordable housing  projects across the state. This Fund supports home ownership and rental apartments, new  construction, rehabilitation and emergency repairs to homes. Our tax revaluation process is worth  reexamining as well to ensure equity and fairness in property taxes. 

6. What is your vision for transit in North Carolina? What kind of regional transit systems  should the state work to implement, and what kind of transit legislation would you  support? 

I envision transit supporting not just communities in urban centers but also communities in rural  areas. I was proud to be a primary sponsor of the Transportation for the Future Act to increase  the proportion of North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) funds that must go to  bicycle lanes, sidewalks and other modes of transportation, such as light rail and commuter rail.  Under current law, there is a prohibition on the use of these funds for standalone pedestrian and  bicycle projects. This bill would have removed the cap in the public transportation service on  total state funding for commuter rail or light rail projects, to ease commuting and better connect rural, suburban and urban areas. I also supported and will continue to support legislation to  create a study committee on statewide commuter rail. 

7. Would you support an independent process for drawing new legislative and  congressional districts?

Yes. In early 2023, I, along with every other Democrat in the State House and State Senate,  signed onto legislation (House Bill 9 – Fair Maps Act) that would have created an independent  nonpartisan redistricting commission. This would have taken redistricting out of the hands of  state lawmakers and instead, put the process into the hands of citizens. In turn, with state  legislative races under this system, this would better ensure we have a state legislature that is  responsive to the needs of North Carolinians. 

I also introduced House Bill 293 (Freedom to Vote Act), which would have increased funding  for the N.C. State Board of Elections to improve the security of our elections, improved voter  roll list maintenance, increased penalties for voter intimidation, enabled secure online voter  registration, and expanded weekend early voting hours. It would also have established a study  commission to develop nonpartisan redistricting by 2030. Neither of these bills even received a  hearing, but I will continue to support them. 

8. Do you support expanding funding for Opportunity Scholarships? Do you believe the  legislature has a role in ensuring that private schools don’t further raise tuition on families  and taxpayers with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars into the private school  economy? Please explain your answer.  

Private school vouchers present a great disadvantage to our state’s families and children, with  their use of public, taxpayer dollars. I am not against private schools, but I am against sending  taxpayer dollars to private schools that are not held accountable like public schools are. Private  schools receiving these vouchers are not required to adhere to any state assessments and reports,  as public schools are. There are no required federal background checks on employees at schools  receiving these vouchers. The curriculum at these schools is not required to align with the North  Carolina Standard Couse of Study as public schools are. They are not required to report on their  enrollment or on their financials, like public schools are.  

Unlike public schools, private schools are not required to serve every child. Thanks to the latest  state budget, all income restrictions have been removed, and the General Assembly has passed a  bill to commit upwards of $450 million more for private school vouchers. Many of the top  private schools in North Carolina do not even accept private school vouchers. Tuition, in many cases, is so expensive that the vouchers do not help many working families to enroll their  children in those schools. I echo Governor Cooper’s call for a moratorium on private school  vouchers until North Carolina’s public schools are fully funded. 

9. North Carolina is one of the lowest-paying states for teachers in the nation. Schools  across the state are facing shortages of educators, support staff, and other key personnel.  By what percentage should the next budget raise wages for teachers and school employees?  What else can the General Assembly do to improve working conditions for teachers and  make the teaching profession more attractive to potential future educators? 

North Carolina currently ranks 46th nationally, and 11th out of 12 states in the Southeast in  terms of teacher pay. I strongly support Governor Cooper’s proposed pay raise in HB 430 that  would have raised teacher pay, on average by 8.5 percent and set the minimum starting teacher  salary at more than $47,500 plus supplements. This would have brought North Carolina to the  top in the Southeast and to #16 in the country in teacher pay.  

In 2023, I was proud to cosponsor several bills that would have enhanced our recruitment efforts  for high-quality educators, including though not limited to the following: 

– HB 141: Paid Parental Leave for State Employees 

– HB 366: Restore Master’s Pay for Teachers & ISP 

– HB 510: School Supplies Act of 2023 

HB 366 would have further allowed for higher compensation for teachers. HB 141 and HB 510  would have provided more support for teachers starting families, as well as more funding for  school supplies for teachers in the classroom. For retirees, HB 430 also would have provided a  cost-of-living adjustment at a recurring increase of 2% annually, along with a one-time bonus of  1 to 2 percent. I would consider these measures a minimum of what we need to do to be on better  footing to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. 

10. North Carolina bans abortion after 12 weeks’ gestation. Do you think abortion access in  North Carolina should be expanded or further restricted, or do you support the current  law?  

Right after I was sworn into office on June 1, 2022, my first action as a representative was to  cosponsor HB 1119 (Reproductive Freedom Act.), which would have codified the constitutional  protections that the Supreme Court cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey provided for abortion access. At that time, the Dobbs decision had not yet come down, but I  joined other Democratic colleagues in attempting to codify those protections before the Dobbs decision. Last year, I was proud to cosponsor HB 19 (Codify Roe and Casey Protections), which  would have reinstated those constitutional protections to abortion access under state law. Every Democrat in the State House and State Senate also signed onto that bill. Last year, I cosponsored  HB 670 (Preserve Access to Contraceptives), which would have required UNC system schools to  provide access to emergency contraceptive pills through at least one vending machine on each  main campus. It would have also appropriated $300,000 to the Department of Health and Human  Services for grants to nonprofit community health centers for providing access to long-acting  reversible contraceptives to underserved and uninsured patients. I will continue to support these  legislative measures, to ensure reproductive healthcare access for everyone. 

11. Do you support reforming North Carolina’s marijuana laws? Do you support full  legalization? Please explain your position.  

Yes. First, medical marijuana has been shown to be a safer treatment for chronic pain in adults  than some current legal treatments. It also reduces vomiting induced by chemotherapy and can  improve outcomes for other health conditions. Most of the country (38 states) has legalized  medical marijuana, and there is bipartisan support for it here in North Carolina. According to a  recent WRAL poll, 70% of North Carolinians favor legalization of medical marijuana.  

Second, in North Carolina, 22 percent of the state’s population is African American, yet over 50  percent of arrests for marijuana possession involve African Americans. This is in the face of data  that indicates that people in every racial category use marijuana at the same rates. Legalization  and regulation can remove one of the largest racially disproportionate practices in our state. It  can create jobs, eliminate racially disparate enforcement and require formal, science-based  product testing to better ensure safe use.  

12. Do you support strengthening gun safety regulations such as expanding background  checks, banning bump stocks, and raising the age to buy or otherwise regulating the sales  of assault-style weapons? Please explain.  

Gun violence, especially in schools, has been on my mind. The latest tragedy in at a Georgia  high school again speaks to the urgent need for common sense gun safety measures. Along with the above, we need to reinstate the pistol purchase permit requirement, one of North Carolina’s  strongest background checks at that time. I have cosponsored legislation to create a “red flag”  law, which would temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms if a judge, with evidence,  determines that person poses a risk of danger or harm to themselves and others. I have also  cosponsored legislation to launch a public education campaign on the safe storage of firearms.  We need to make our communities safer, and part of that means addressing rampant gun  violence.  

13. Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to  address?