Name as it appears on the ballot: Rosa Gill
Campaign Website: www.rosagillnchouse.com
Occupation & Employer: Retired State Employee (Educator and Administrator)
Phone number: 919-821-0425 Email: rugill@bellsouth.net
Years lived in the district: 50 yrs. (born in Wake County)
How would you rate the 2015 session of the General Assembly?
Legislative Session was very partisan, not very substantive, anti-public education, pro-business, pro upper income, imposed taxes on the middle income and working class families and failed to consider the expansion of Medicaid
2. If you are challenging an incumbent, what decisions has the incumbent made that you most disagree with? If you are an incumbent, what issues do you believe failed to get the attention they deserve and should be addressed in the next session?
The expansion of Medicaid would create thousands of jobs, increase revenue for the state by millions of dollars and provide insurance coverage to thousands of uninsured individuals. Additional funding for early childhood education is needed in order to prepare children of low income families the opportunity to be successful in take on the challenges of the public school system and meeting their potentials.
3. Education spending, if you include the UNC system, accounts for more than half of the state budget. But per-pupil K-12 spending is among the lowest in the country. Does the state need to allocate more money to classrooms? Should teachers be given a raise? If so, how would you propose to pay for it?
We cannot put a price ticket on the value our teachers add to public education nor the fact that education plays a vital role in creating a well trained workforce that will help fuel a strong economy. If we repeal or delay implementation of the proposed cuts to corporation and personal income taxes, there would be enough funds to increase spend in education. You cannot continue cutting two of the largest source of state revenue without cutting programs and services.
4. The state in recent years has embraced charter schools and vouchers. Proponents argue that these alternatives to traditional public education offer options for parents who would otherwise have to place their child in a subpar school. Opponents argue that these alternatives divert resources from schools that need them the most. Do you believe North Carolina needs more or fewer of these alternative education options?
Alternative education options are needed but not at the expense of the public education system. If the state is committed to increasing these programs, then the state should be committed to finding resources without cutting the public school budget. These programs should be created with an accountability component that ensures the children attending these programs are receiving a great education.
5. The secretive process by which the UNC board hired Margaret Spellings has been roundly criticized in the media. Do you believe the Legislature should be more directly involved with university-system decisions of this nature? Also, do you believe the Board of Governors has become overly politicized in recent years, as some have alleged?
Many legislators are not educators and should not be involved in the selection of a person to lead the university system. Legislators should deal with funding priorities based on the recommendations of the president of the system. The board has become so partisan based on the leadership in control that the decisions been made by the board are being questioned by individuals who value a great university system and wants to see it continues being the flagship of the Nation.
5. What are your three biggest budgetary priorities? Please be specific.
The three budgetary priorities are fully funding for the public school system, protecting services and programs for our most vulnerable populations and expanding economy development.
6. The Legislature has over the past three years flattened and reduced the state income tax, and critics contend that most of the benefits have accrued to those at the top of the socioeconomic ladder. Do you believe the state’s tax system is equitable and prudent? If not, how would you like to see it changed?
The state has three major sources of revenue, corporate, personal income and sale taxes. Reducing corporate and personal taxes will shift the burden of increased sale taxes (most aggressive) on services to the working and middle income families. If there is to be truly a tax reform, we must have benchmarks or triggers in place to monitor the impact or the effectiveness the reduction on government services and programs. We must have a willingness to find addition sources of revenue other than sale taxes.
7. North Carolina has not executed anyone in 10 years, but it has 148 people on death row. Would you support restarting executions, or do you believe the death penalty should be abolished?
Until we can reform our judicial system giving fair and equal treatment to all, I believe we should delay the executions and abolish the death penalty. Research has shown that there is unfair prosecution and sentencing, that it is somewhat inhumane and violates the health professionals’ code to protect life.
8. Last year, over the governor’s veto, the Legislature passed S.B. 2, which allows magistrates to opt out of performing same-sex-marriage ceremonies? Do you support S.B. 2 or believe it should be repealed? Why or why not?
No one should be above the law. Same –sex marriage is legal according to the US Supreme court. If you cannot perform your duties as prescribed by law then you should not be allow to serve in that capacity. There should be other duties and/or responsibilities in the magistrate office that one can be assigned to that does not involve performing marriage ceremonies.
9. Also in the last year’s session, the Legislature passed a bill forcing abortion providers to send the Department of Health and Human Services ultrasound images of some aborted fetuses. Do you believe such provisions are necessary, or is this a case of the state inappropriately interfering in women’s health care decisions?
This is truly a case of the state inappropriately interfering in women’s health care decisions. Medical decisions should be between a patient and her doctor.
10. If elected, what would you do to protect North Carolina’s environment and natural resources? Do you believe state environmental regulatory bodies need more funding or less funding, and why?
Continue to create and support legislation that will protect our environment and natural resources. It is not so much the funding as it is the implementation of the environment laws we currently have. We can no longer continue reducing or changing regulations in the name of creating jobs while jeopardizing the quality of our natural resources.
11. In recent years, the Legislature has reconfigured districts for both the Wake County Board of Education and the Wake County Board of Commissioners in a manner that critics allege was done to boost Republican electoral hopes. Do you believe this redistricting was proper? Would you support repealing these bills?
The redistricting was done for a partisan advantage. I voted against these bills and other redistricting legislation that did not contain a referendum and were not at the request of the people of the district. I will work to repeal these bills if the courts don’t over turn them.
12. On reapportionment, both parties have shown that they will abuse the redistricting process when given a chance. Will you support a bill in the next session to turn all future redistricting over to a non-partisan or bi-partisan independent commission?
I was a co-sponsor of legislation that passed the House but did not come for a vote in the Senate that called for a non-partisan independent Commission. I will continue to advocate for it.
13. Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some popularity points with voters.
Voting on the budget in which there is a provision that will give raises to state employees and teachers but reduced programs and services to the most needed populations and at the time reducing reduction of state jobs to the private sector.