Leaders respond to state marches
By John Joyce and Melinda Harrell
Published in News on January 24, 2017 10:06 AM
Full Size
Rep. John Bell
Full Size
Rep. Larry Bell
Full Size
Rep. Jimmy Dixon
Full Size
Sen. Louis Pate
Alongside the Women's March in Washington, D.C., that came a day after President Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, sister marches were held in state capitals and large cities across the country..
In North Carolina, thousands poured into downtown in Raleigh -- and an estimated 10,000 in Charlotte -- to raise awareness and voice concerns about women's rights. Issues ranged from equal pay to availability of health care, as well as equality for the LGBT community.
Wayne County representatives to the General Assembly held varying opinions about the implications the state and national demonstrations held, and how the march will affect -- if not change -- their goals for the upcoming legislative session beginning Wednesday.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE LEADERS:
Rep. John Bell, R-Dist. 10, was the first among the elected officials contacted Monday to return phone calls seeking comment on what Saturday's protests meant, and whether or not the millions of women taking to the streets nationwide represented any sort of "call to action" for the state government.
Bell said he hadn't seen the marches first-hand, nor had he spoken to anyone who had attended one. In his estimation, he said, there wasn't any news to discuss.
"I wasn't there, I didn't see it. I don't have any opinion one way or the other," he said.
"I don't see it being news."
Despite not having been there personally, Bell said he did see and read at least some of what the media has reported on the marches. He had seen women on TV, out in the street, chanting and holding signs. He still declined to comment in any detail on any reaction he might have had.
"I've seen media reports on it, but I wasn't there."
He said nobody called his office in advance of or after the marches, asking him to focus his office's energies on issues related to the protests.
"Not to my knowledge, no," Bell said. "I have seen the media reports, but it is not something I have paid attention to."
Bell said the legislature, which returns to session this week, had budget business on the agenda and that was where his focus lies.
"We return to session on Wednesday, and we will be working out a state budget together. It is the start of the long session and those are the things I have been working on."
Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Dist. 4, said he was in Washington, D.C., to attend the inauguration events when the influx of around a half a million women started.
"Nationally, and in state, when people do it peacefully and within the legal parameters set up I think they are OK in what they are doing," Dixon said.
"But for me, I saw no consistent message, other than we don't like Donald Trump being president."
Dixon said the wide-array of issues that the Women's March represented left him unable to nail down what problems the demonstrators were addressing.
"There is a smorgasbord of different things that they are protesting, and I don't know how effective that will be in the long term," he said.
"They achieved the goal of getting attention because of the numbers, but I am not sure that a focused message was achieved. It is my opinion on those issues, the actual facts do not bare out what they are proposing to be a problem. The fact that it coincided with the inauguration with President Trump, I think they should take a look at how he has performed. If they are trying to use his inauguration, I have seen very qualified women that he has appointed in private business and campaign and haven't heard any of them complain."
Dixon did address head-on one of issues presented during the marches -- health care for women.
"The health care thing, in my opinion, revolves almost completely around abortion," he said.
"I am wondering why they weren't as concerned about the health care about that little person in the womb. I think the right to abortion exists. This is a preliminary deal that is aimed at maintaining Roe vs. Wade. I don't know how effective what they are doing will be."
Dixon said the marches in North Carolina will not change his focus or agenda in the coming legislative session.
Rep. Larry Bell, D-Dist. 21, said the demonstrations echoed how he felt all along.
"The march didn't have to convince me that we have to respect the rights of women."
Bell, who is pro-life, said he believes health care and other issues are important, not just for women but for all young people, and that should include funding programs like Planned Parenthood which offer not only contraceptives, but also education on safe sex and abstinence.
It is something he feels the state should consider carefully as the General Assembly returns to session, Wednesday.
"We have a lot of legislation, things dealing with blocks on Planned Parenthood, but it was good for us to have these things and I'd hate to see us cut funding for that kind of thing," he said.
Losing preventative health care, especially for women, might lead to increases in teen pregnancy, reversing a downward trend seen over the last several years which is something Bell said he would like to avoid.
He takes a similar stance on equal pay, another cause cited by many among the millions of women who turned out in cities across the nation and around the world, Saturday.
"Gender should not be a factor that determines pay," he said. Pay ought to be based on merit, regardless of who the worker is, he said.
SENATE LEADERS: Sen. Louis Pate, R-Dist. 7, said his focus will be on the new session of the General Assembly.
Pate said he had no problem with people assembling peacefully in the streets to call attention to issues they feel strongly about, so long as their voices don't "squelch out" those of the many who might disagree with them.
"I believe it is one of our most precious rights, to be able to petition for a redress of grievances," he said.
The senator said he had a busy weekend and was not present at any of the rallies, but one thing he did notice was the number of young children present.
"I saw some pictures of kids, little kids, carrying signs I don't even know if they knew the meaning of what they had written on there," he said. "That is something that concerns me."
He said he would not want to see one of his own granddaughters at such an event carrying a sign scribbled with vulgarities.
On the question of whether or not he supports any of the issues raised by the protesters, he said he was not aware of all the reasons the women were assembled.
Asked specifically about equal pay and health care for women, particularly as it pertains to North Carolina, Pate said that everyone has their own opinion as to what "their redress is about."
"I don't want to get drawn into an argument about women's rights," Pate said.
Sen. Don Davis, D-Dist. 5, did not return calls for comment as of press time.