Representative Ken Goodman’s General Assembly Report
ROCKINGHAM – As part of the ongoing mission of the Richmond Observer to provide expansive coverage of current events of interest, we offer the following news release from State Representative Ken Goodman.
THE RALEIGH REPORT
Greetings,
Things wrapped up here in Raleigh Friday, June 29th after a short but busy session.
A lot happened in the 44 days the NC General Assembly was in session, including adjustments to the 2017-2019 Biennium Budget and six constitutional amendments. Some issues that were brought up during session included teacher pay, state employee pay, rural broadband, judicial redistricting, and election law changes. We are set to reconvene November 27th, 2018.
Teachers March in Raleigh
On the first day of session, Wednesday, May 16th, an estimated 19,000 teachers, students, and other supporters marched down Fayetteville Street to the Legislative Building to have their voices heard. They were here to express the need for more funding towards the public schools in our state. Fortunately, teachers from our district stopped by our office and I was able to hear their concerns. Also, I made my way outside to speak with more educators that were here for the march. Outside on Halifax Mall, the teachers had grouped up by county, which helped me find teachers from the district who were advocating for their cause. I was inspired by so many of our visitors and their passion for educating our children. Education is the foundation for our state’s future, and it is important that teachers and students are given the resources and respect they deserve. I will continue to do my part to emphasize the importance of education here in Raleigh.
Visitors from the District
While we were in session, I was lucky to meet with people from our district who came to learn about the General Assembly and advocate for their beliefs. Some of our visitors included elected officials, doctors, teachers, students, and more. It is always great to hear from engaged citizens from the district and I enjoy meeting everyone that visits. Here are some highlights from my meetings with students from the district.
Youth Leadership Students from Montgomery County
32 students from Montgomery County, led by Chrissy Haynes who works with 4-H Youth Development in the county, visited the General Assembly on May 8th to learn more about our legislative process. There were students from East Montgomery, West Montgomery, Uwharrie Charter Academy, and Graystone Day School. I was able to sit down with the students and learn more about them as well as answer questions that they had. Then, we took a tour of the buildings that ended with getting to go on the floor of the House Chamber.
AP Students
On May 30th, AP Students from all across the district came to advocate for funding for AP classes and testing, and met with their representatives while they were here. We reserved a meeting room for us all to get together and discuss their priorities and the things going on at the General Assembly. I was impressed with the thoughtful and well thought out questions that were asked, and I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion. The students were all very bright young people with endless potential, and it is great to see that the future of the district will be in great hands.
Editor’s note: It is the general policy of the Richmond Observer to print news release material in its original format, as it was received, with minimal, if any, editorial adjustments. However, it should be noted that this particular article did not constitute the entirety of the news release from which it was derived. The remaining portions of that news release will be published as a series of reviews of proposed state constitutional amendments.
