Name as it appears on the ballot: Vernetta Alston 

Age:  

Party affiliation: Democratic 

Campaign website: vernettaalston.com 

Occupation & employer: Attorney 

Years lived in North Carolina: 42 

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 an attorney and former city council member. I am currently serving my  second term in the North Carolina House. Three accomplishments that are  notable include my representation of Henry McCollum, who was exonerated  from North Carolina’s death row in 2014; the passage of the Unfair Real Estate  Agreements Act in 2023, and the birth of my two children. 

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 want to work with Democrats, Republicans, and stakeholders to find  meaningful solutions to a diverse range of housing issues impacting urban and  rural communities. As in previous years, fully funding our public schools is a  top priority for me. School funding is particularly urgent following the passage of the 2023 state budget which funds private vouchers at double  the rate of the raises for public school teachers. I also want to protect the  functions of our state agencies, branches of government and our elections  process from corrupt and increasingly partisan policies.

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? 

There are instances where there is an imbalance between state regulation and  local ability to make nimble, community-driven land use decisions. There are  areas of the law that should be evaluated by local and state stakeholders based  on current conditions so that expectations and the urgent needs of our communities can be met efficiently. 

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

The minimum wage should be at least $17.00 per hour for a single person with  no dependents and a livable wage should be accessible to all workers. 

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

As I mentioned above, the state legislature can support affordability needs by  evaluating the diverse needs of communities across the state and committing  to sustained investments for individuals and for basic infrastructure that can  

help all residents, but especially low-income residents, navigate a rapidly  changing housing and economic environment. 

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? 

We should prioritize expanding our transportation options in North Carolina to  address growth, access to economic centers, and to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

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

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.  

The expansion of eligibility for the Opportunity Scholarship program to is an  alarming example of reckless policymaking. 

Every parent must make the best decision they can about the education of their  child but the appropriation of nearly a billion dollars for vouchers under this  program is fundamentally unfair. 

The state legislature has a responsibility to fully fund our public schools. 

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? 

Governor Cooper proposed 18% raises which was a respectful and competitive proposal that should have been included in the 2023 budget. 

The state should respect educators and pay them what they deserve. The state  must fund our public schools and provide educators with the resources they  need to do their jobs, e.g. increase per pupil expenditure, fund capital 

improvements, support diversity in hiring, fund student mental health training, invest in early childhood educators, increase funding for pre-K. 

The state must roll back recently enacted policies that threaten educators and  jeopardize the safety and mental health of our students, e.g. parents’ bill of  rights, fairness in women’s sports, loosening of gun regulations. 

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?  

I will work with my colleagues to protect and restore abortion access in North  Carolina. This year, I co-sponsored bills to codify the federal protections in Roe  v. Wade and to protect abortion and other health care access for women. I will  continue to advocate for and pursue this kind of legislation. 

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

North Carolina has real opportunities to help regulate this growing national  industry and realize tax revenue from that regulation. Many states are ahead of  us in tackling this issue and it is time that we joined the conversation in a  meaningful way. 

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.  

In North Carolina, we need statewide bans on bump stocks, trigger cranks, high-capacity magazines. We also need to renew the ban on assault weapons  that lapsed in 2004, support

extreme risk protective orders, and accountability for legal gun owners who do  not report their firearms lost or stolen. 

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

No, thank you for your sharing valuable information about our candidates with the voters of North Carolina.