Candidates for NC House District 12, incumbent Chris Humphrey and Virginia Cox-Daugherty, answer questions about topics that impact North Carolina. Topics include student debt, high school graduation rate, improving economic opportunities, decreasing poverty and the state’s Covid-19 response. Neuse News will host an Election Night Results Show on Facebook LIVE on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7:30 pm. The show is sponsored in part by Brooks Poole, Realtor.

The University of North Carolina system has 16 colleges and in 2018 North Carolina college students graduated on average with a debt of $26,526. Are the cost of education and the practice of student loans a concern and if so, what actions or solutions would you work toward if elected?

Humphrey says…

“In NC the cost of going to one of our public universities has been the most in the nation for as long as I can remember. Student debt is a bit of concern however, student loans and that sort of thing can be used to pay for all kinds of expenses, sometimes I think the student debt may be a bit exaggerated. After the tuition is paid you get the leftover cash and you can use it to buy whatever. As far as waiving or forgiving debt, I’m totally against that. I think that the student loans are such a lower interest rate, when you have skin in the game you are more apt to really stay focused and engage in your studies. I know a lot of folks talk about free education and free college and that sort of thing. That sounds good. It’s good political fodder but it’s not possible. With professors, utilities, buildings there are a lot of costs that go into education.”

Cox-Daugherty says…

“Yes, the rising cost of education is absolutely a problem facing many in our community. Education should be affordable and accessible for all North Carolinians and a commitment to higher education has been a boon to the state’s economy as a whole and to generations of North Carolinians. We should be investing in our universities and community colleges, but not by placing a greater burden on students from families that are already feeling pressed by stagnant incomes and an increasing cost of living. I am committed to making sure that North Carolina makes sure every student can access affordable continuing education.”

The average graduation rate of high schoolers in North Carolina is 87.6%. This is a 1.1% increase over 2018. If elected what actions or solutions would you work toward concerning the graduation rate?

Humphrey says…

“While the graduation rate is not at 100% I think it’s increased over the years probably since the legislation passed about driver’s license I think that’s kind of helped. I think too that school systems have finally realized that everyone in high school is not going to go to college. They’ve really focused on building trades, constructions, mechanics, and they’ve refocused and re-shifted the pressure to force a kid into classes that they’ll probably never use. Kids now are going into these fields that they see a path to a pretty good income. Early college has helped. It separated kids that really want to focus and learn on medicine and law or business whereas you got another group that venture out and work with their hands and make money that way. I think that’s helped a lot and I think we need to continue to encourage the trades education to make sure the students have options.”

Cox-Daugherty says…

“I believe students of all identities and backgrounds should have access to quality public education. Education is the foundation of community and economic opportunity. It’s time to fully fund public schools in line with the Leandro recommendations and give every student in North Carolina the resources they need to succeed. This includes improving school infrastructure, paying teachers the national average, and providing access to reliable internet, especially as COVID provides new challenges with remote learning.”

The CDC reported 3,532 deaths of North Carolinians as of 10/1/2020 from COVID-19 and communities across the state are experiencing the loss of small businesses who have had to close because of the virus or government mandates. Do you support Governor Cooper’s approach to the pandemic, and why?

Humphrey says…

“Initially he took steps that I thought were necessary. This whole pandemic is a new phenomenon and we’ve never seen anything like it in our lifetime. We really didn’t know how to fight it off or to avoid catching it. I think now the science is better, the data is a little bit better. We’re able to predict a lot of the factors. Once we had a handle on flattening the curve we kept businesses shut down and we let large box stores open up but let small mom and pop shops that make this country great have fallen to the wayside and I think that’s tragic. It could have been handled differently based on science and mass spreading and social distancing and the things that helped us flatten the curve I was a little bit disappointed in the way the governor has handled the pandemic in the last two-three months.”

Cox-Daugherty says…

“I support the Governor’s approach to the pandemic because I know that our health and wellbeing has to come first. If Republicans like my opponent had taken the pandemic more seriously in the beginning, instead of staging protests about wearing masks, we could have saved the lives of many of our friends and neighbors and reopened North Carolina sooner. My Democratic colleagues and I continue to be committed to stopping the spread of this virus and helping North Carolinians get back on their feet.”

According to a 2018 US News report, North Carolina ranks #42 out of 50 in economic opportunity. If elected, what plans or solutions would you work toward to improve the economic opportunities for all North Carolinians?

Humphrey says…

“I believe that we continue to lower taxes to expand the tax base. Obviously, the lower the taxes are the more industries will invest in your state. In the 2012 time frame, we started lowering taxes and we have one of the lowest tax rates in the southeast. That’s how we’ve been able to attract industries to our area. Most of the disparity is in rural areas we are economically depressed and we don’t have the population of the larger cities of North Carolina. We just need to see the state step up and attract industries in these areas so more people can go to work and work out of the poverty level. I think that’s drilling down.”

Cox-Daugherty says…

“All three of my priorities would help provide more economic opportunities for everyone in our community. First, as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years, I know how important education is to providing equal economic opportunities for all. Fully funding our schools and raising teacher pay would provide meaningful improvements in economic opportunity across the board. Second, expanding Medicaid would not only provide critical funding for our hospitals, including for many new jobs in the 12th house district, but access to affordable health care would significantly reduce economic strain on hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. Finally, expanding access to rural broadband will revolutionize the way Pitt and Lenoir counties can connect with the rest of the state and the world. These changes can help grow our economy and attract new businesses to our community.”

The US Census has Lenoir County poverty level at 22.1% against the national average of 10.5% in 2019. If elected, what actions or solutions would you work toward concerning the poverty levels for your district?

Humphrey says…

“We’ve got to continue to find a way to mitigate the flood losses. Flooding has really hurt the population of Kinston throughout the town, minority areas included. Folks have been displaced and it’s hurt their ability to get to work. We don’t have a public transportation per se. We have a transit but it would be helpful to have a public transportation system. With the loss of tobacco and textiles and the inability to attract high-paying jobs, it’s harder. We’ve got a good footprint at the Global TransPark We have a good thing in the making. Every year we are getting one step closer to attracting industries that are looking for skilled workers, that can go to one of our community colleges which are the best. They can train our workforce, especially those who are poverty-stricken. They can go to college for basically free and learn a new skill for them to use in the workplace. We’re very fortunate to have access to an education system in our own back yard.”

Cox-Daugherty says…

“My first priority to address poverty would be to expand Medicaid. Research has shown again and again that Medicaid is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs that we have. If we passed this tax-neutral bill, an estimated 4,519 people in Lenoir County would gain access to affordable health care which is a major step forward in reducing poverty levels. Additionally, Medicaid expansion would also create an estimated 203 new good-paying jobs in Lenoir County and promote $41.6 million in economic growth. I would also continue to educate our community members on the importance of filing their Census forms by holding small group forums in our community.”