Name as it appears on the ballot: Emmanuel Wilder
Campaign website: www.wilderfornc.com
Phone number: (919)907-1467
Email: contact@wilderfornc.com
Years lived in the district: 4.5 years
1. What do you think are the three biggest issues facing our state? If you are an incumbent, what have you done to address those issues, and what more would you do if given another term? If you are a challenger, what would you do differently to address those issues than the incumbent has done?
I believe that the 3 biggest issues facing North Carolina are Education our next generation, Dealing with the inadequacies Criminal Justice, and improving our infrastructure. Right now, I believe we have a government that is separate from the people. My focus would be bringing government to the people. Being out in the district and answering the questions that the people have. We need to start taking a fresh look at how the government is operating, and how we need to move forward together.
2. It seems hardly a day goes by without news of another mass shooting. On the state level, what changes to gun laws, if any, do you support? If you do not support any changes, please explain why you think the current laws are successful.
It is clear if nothing changes, then nothing changes. Before I would look to an option of adding any type of new law, let us take a look at what is on the books. Are we enforcing correctly? Has it been implemented correctly? Let's start with an inward look first.
3. In recent years, Duke Energy's coal ash spilled into the Dan River and Chemours's GenX leaked into the Cape Fear River. Do you think these companies have been held sufficiently accountable? Do you believe the state has put in place sufficient regulations to prevent these problems from occurring again? If not, what more do you propose doing?
Protecting our environment is important not only to what happens now, but to the world that our children will inherit. We have a great responsibility to leave a world that is better than we received. Let take a look at how companies are implementing these current regulations. There will be lessons learned from this research and use the lesson to move forward.
4. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, at least six hog-farm lagoons were damaged and more than fifty saw discharges or were inundated with floodwaters as of this writing, according to the DEQ. More than five thousand hogs have died, and right now it's unclear what the ultimate long-term environmental impacts will be. Since Hurricane Floyd, environmentalists have warned that, in a severe flooding event, the farms' "anachronistic" waste-disposal techniques could pose a threat to the state's waterways and public health, while the industry has insisted that its farms utilize best practices and are already heavily regulated. Do you believe these farms, and their lagoons, pose a risk to the environment? If so, do you believe the state has done enough to minimize that risk?
Farmers are extremely important to NC Agriculture, and planning for a 1,000-year flooding event isn't exactly the easiest task in the world. No amount of regulations will prevent 100% of situations from occurring, but that being said we need to make sure our regulations for safety are being adhered to before we change the rules.
5. This year, Smithfield Foods—the world's largest pork producer—has lost three verdicts in North Carolina totaling millions of dollars, after juries found that its farms' methods of waste disposal infringed on the property rights of their neighbors. But in the last two years, the General Assembly has taken steps to make it more difficult for these neighbors to sue or to recover substantial damages, citing the threats these lawsuits pose to the well-being of family farmers. Do you believe the legislature's actions with regard to these nuisance lawsuits are prudent? Why or why not?
This issue is complicated, and every situation has its own intricacies. When making land purchases, be it commercial or personal, owners should be mindful of where they set down roots. If you move next to a highway you can expect some noise, but you made the decision. However, business need to continue to be partners in the community and when large scales changes to actions happen that would impact residents, let have that discussion so we can move forward together.
6. It has been estimated that special sessions of the North Carolina legislature cost about $50,000 per day. Since 2016, the General Assembly has called seven of them to deal with everything from passing HB 2—the so-called bathroom bill—to passing restrictions on the governor's powers after Roy Cooper defeated Pat McCrory to, most recently, clean up controversial constitutional amendment language so that it complied with a court order. Under what circumstances do you think it's appropriate to hold a special session?
This is very cut and dry for me. The only time we really need to have a special session is what we saw with the general assembly coming into session to deal with emergency relief.
7. What are your thoughts on the six proposed constitutional amendments before voters this November? Please explain which you support and which you don't support and why. What do you think about the process behind these amendments—what critics have described as a limited public debate, for example, as well as the elimination of amendment numbers and ballot summaries, and the lack of so-called implementing legislation, which could be passed in another special session after the November vote?
8. In May, thousands of teachers from all over the state marched on the legislature to demand better pay, more resources for students, and more respect. Do you think North Carolina's schools are being adequately funded? If not, what taxes would you be willing to raise—or what services would you be willing to cut—to fund them better?
North Carolina spends over 50% of its budget on education, but I don't think anyone will argue that there are deficiencies in the classroom. We need to be upfront with where the money is going and how it is being spent. However, if we make very smart investments in our educational infrastructure, while it may cost us up front, we will save money down the road.
9. Currently, twenty-nine states have minimum wages above the federal minimum. North Carolina is not among them. Do you believe North Carolina should raise its minimum wage?
One of the great accomplishments of the short session was raising the state employee minimum wage to $15 an hour. One of the byproducts of doing this will ultimately see many private sector businesses doing the same. Just recently we saw Amazon do the same. This in combination with a low unemployment rate will create an environment where we can see wages rise for all citizens.
10. Under current law, toward the end of 2020, municipalities will gain the authority to pass nondiscrimination and living wage ordinances—unless the General Assembly intervenes. Since the winner of your race will be in office at that time, do you believe local governments in North Carolina should be allowed to make these decisions for themselves?
The people of Raleigh can better handle the concerns of Raleigh Citizens than the citizens of Kill Kitty, NC. We need to empower our municipalities to make the decisions that it needs. The people in DC know far less of the needs of NC in comparison to the people of North Carolina.
11. Over the last couple of years in Wake County, county commissioners and school board members have battled over local school funding. Recently, some commissioners have made moves to petition the legislature to allow for a pilot program in which the Board of Commissioners turns over school-taxing authority to the Board of Education, as is the arrangement in most states. In general, do you believe the state's elected school boards should have the responsibility to raise taxes for the schools they oversee? Why or why not?
The ability to handle taxing authority has always resided with legislative bodies. There needs to be an adequate dialogue between those bodies, and that would make them unnecessary. However, If a County Commission, associated City Government, and county school board came together with a proposal on how something like this could be implemented we should listen. It will need that buy-in from all 3 of those institutions.
12. Since Governor Cooper's election, the legislature has taken a number of steps to assume powers that were previously the executive's domain, including overhauling the State Board of Elections. Do you believe these decisions were merely power grabs, as Democrats have alleged, or that they were made in the interests of public policy?
Let's not be short-sided here, All citizens benefit from a balanced government. It does however make sense to reorganize how an institution is set up. We see this happen in the private sector all the time. In many cases you see a more effective group going forward.
13. Over the last year, the state has frequently found itself in court over its legislative and congressional districts, which courts have ruled to be unconstitutional racial and partisan gerrymanders. Given this, do you believe the state legislature of that last several years has acted as a legitimate body? If not, what do you propose as a solution? If yes, please tell us why.
Soon we will see the response from the Supreme Court on the rules that bodies are allowed to follow in drawing lines. After we see the finalized rules we can make effective decisions on how to move forward. You have heard of many different ways to do this, but the 2 that stick out for me is a bipartisan commission and using computer software that will draw the most effective districts. A hybrid of those 2 will ultimately land us where we need to go.
14. Give an example of a time, during your political career, when you have changed your position as a result of a discussion with someone who held an opposing view.
If you are not learning you are not growing. So as I learn more things and study more data my views evolve. Sometimes they are major and sometimes they are minor. My views on education continue to evolve and grow.
15. Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some points with voters.
I am AGAINST the death penalty, and that will not change in any capacity. Nor can you convince me that it is right.
