Recently appointed Sen. Valerie Foushee, D-Orange, spoke to the UNC Young Democrats Monday about her new position and some of what the N.C. General Assembly’s covered this summer.
Foushee, a former state House of Representatives member, was appointed earlier this month to replace former Sen. Ellie Kinnaird in the District 23 seat, serving Orange and Chatham counties.
Foushee outlined her concerns with the legislature.
“You hear the leadership say that they’re putting more money into education than ever before,” Foushee told students. “But when you consider that there are more students than ever before, and that the needs are greater, you’ve not raised the amount that is going to cover the needs.”
She also touched on the Affordable Care Act’s stipulations and how state health officials should handle the new law. People can start enrolling in the health insurance marketplace today.
“We need to make sure that people have the access and knowledge of the act — that people understand that (it) is not a job killer and is not something that is going to depress our economy,” she said.
She said her priorities in the state Senate will include advocating for a reconsideration of Medicaid expansion and ensuring every eligible voter has access to the polls.
UNC Young Democrats President Peter Vogel said he was glad Foushee could share her knowledge on political matters with students — particularly the voter identification law, which is the subject of a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit filed Monday.
“Her thoughts on being a woman involved in legislation, and her being an African-American speaking to voter fraud related to the recent voter I.D. bill are important,” Vogel said. “She’s a strong, confident Democrat that would offer different perspectives on many things involved with North Carolina politics.”
