Name as it appears on the ballot: Cynthia Ball 

Age: 68

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: https://www.cynthiafornc.com/

Occupation & employer:  Mediator and Legislator (Self-employed; NCGA)

Years lived in North Carolina: 62

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?

In addition to being a native that loves NC, having served 3 terms in the NC House effectively, and having a strong background and experience with businesses, non-profits and education, I am a certified mediator with skills that will help us find common ground. I am results oriented and dedicated to constituent services. 1.) I am proud to have experience in the business, public and non-profit sectors and I’ve been recognized for my work in each sector. 2). Also, I am proud to have filed many bi-partisan bills to help us address the underfunding of public education in NC.  3). I was recently recognized by the NC League of Conservation Voters as the 2022 Representative of the Year for my work to protect and conserve our precious environment and natural resources.

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?

We must pass Medicaid expansion and find other ways to lower health care costs and ensure support for affordable healthcare for everyone, including reproductive healthcare. We face serious underfunding of our public education system, from pre-K to public schools and post-secondary education. Our public school educator pipeline is extremely inadequate and we should expand and fund more programs to recruit and retain educators. We must protect the right to vote for all of those who are eligible, protect our democracy, and provide adequate funding for voter education across all election processes.

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?

Within guidelines that ensure equitable and inclusive approaches to complicated issues across the state, local municipalities should have more flexibility to address these issues with programs, policies and initiatives that are best for their communities.

4. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so by how much? If not, what other initiatives would you take to support low-income families in North Carolina?

Yes, to $15/per hour+. In addition to raising the minimum wage, we should provide more tax relief to low-income families, such as childcare subsidies, and we should give priority to job training programs.

5. With rent, property taxes, and home sale prices all rising, what, if anything, should the state legislature do to address this growing affordability crisis?

The affordability crisis must be addressed. NCGA can provide incentives to encourage partnerships between municipalities, non-profits and developers to provide more affordable housing.  Some types of conditional/mandatory inclusionary zoning could also address the crisis.  See https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2022/02/10/nc-law-needs-refresh-solve-housing-affordability.html.

6. Do you believe that the state government has an obligation to prevent the impacts of climate change? If so, please state three specific policies you support to address climate change.  

Yes, the state government has a huge obligation. We should pass policies that end clear cutting trees, the polluting of waters with PFAS and other “forever chemicals”, and off-shore drilling and fracking, and we must encourage energy solutions that are sustainable such as wind and solar.  We should also pass policies that encourage the building and use of EVs in our state.

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

Yes, I have sponsored several bills to create the needed process/committee.

8. Does the General Assembly have a constitutional obligation to comply with the state Supreme Court order in the Leandro case to fully fund public schools and give every child in North Carolina a sound basic education?  

YES. This is decades overdue, and we are facing a crisis in our public schools as they try to provide education to our children with the inadequate funding we are providing. Teachers are leaving, children and older students are suffering, and our teacher pipeline is woefully inadequate.

9. When it comes to teacher pay, North Carolina is one of the lowest-paying states in the nation. Schools across the state are facing shortages of educators, support staff, and other key personnel. Do you support raising teacher pay to at least the national average? What else can the General Assembly do to improve working conditions for teachers and make the teaching profession more attractive to potential future educators?

We should raise teacher and principal pay to MORE THAN the national average. We face a crisis that demands action. We should provide greater per pupil funding, restore a much larger Teaching Fellows program, increase funding for the New Teacher Support Program, fund more teaching assistants, provide more nurses, school psychologists, social workers and school counselors, and increase pay for support personnel so teachers are not needed to handle every issue. I have filed bills, mostly with bipartisan support, and I will continue to work to advance these policies.

10. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling this spring that overturned Roe v. Wade. The legal cutoff for abortion in North Carolina is now 20 weeks. Do you believe the 20-week cutoff is too restrictive, not restrictive enough, or just right? As a state lawmaker, would you support legislation that further limits or prohibits abortion in North Carolina, or punishes/criminalizes abortion providers or patients?

The cut-off is too restrictive.  I would NOT support legislation that further limits/prohibits or punishes/criminalizes providers or patients.

11. Should North Carolina expand Medicaid?  Where do you stand on increasing the number of slots for the Innovations Waiver for special needs individuals?

YES! I support increasing the number of slots for those who prefer to get long-term care services and supports in their home or community, rather than in an institutional setting.

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

I support the legalization and regulated prescription of medical marijuana for those who suffer from chronic pain. With representation from the healthcare, economic development, agriculture, and public safety communities, we should study the impacts of the legalization of recreational marijuana. Both medical and recreational marijuana could provide our farmers with a product that can keep them from bankruptcy as well as an increased tax base for our state. After a study that carefully investigates and recommends the guidelines we should follow, the legalization of recreational marijuana should be carefully regulated and controlled. It is inconsistent that our policies encourage the use of alcohol which is much more damaging to health and safety.

13. 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. 

Yes, I have supported and will continue to support common sense gun reform, including banning bump stocks and assault weapons, expanding background checks, and closing loopholes. Every day we have shootings and killings that could be stopped with more regulations and interventions. Just this week, our community is facing another senseless shooting resulting in at least 5 deaths. We need solutions, not just thoughts and prayers.

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

We must find ways to bring broadband to ALL of NC (rural areas and pockets in urban areas) and provide it at an affordable cost to everyone.

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.