U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8, took a break from Capitol Hill this week, returning to Rowan County to talk about his work in Washington, and to field questions from the audience at the chamber of commerce’s Power in Partnership breakfast.

Hudson spoke to a mostly full room Thursday at Trinity Oaks on Klumac Road,  starting out by focusing his speech on work since being re-elected in November. He jumped around to economic development and pieces of legislation that could be coming in the future.

“This year so far in the house, we’ve actually passed 42 bills out of the House of Representatives in just a few weeks, and all but one was bipartisan,” he said. “We’ve passed bills dealing with jobs, veterans health care, energy production, human trafficking and many other important issues. It’s hard for the public sometimes to hear about that because the only thing you hear about is the one or two bills we’re fighting over. Those are important and we’ll continue to have those fights, but we’re also going to work together to try and accomplish things.”

Hudson, then, reemphasized his top-three priorities — jobs, jobs and jobs — which are identical on purpose.

“A lot of people talk about bringing in that automobile plant or that big manufacturer,” he said. “That’s great, and I’ve told your economic developer I’ll get on a plane and go anywhere or pick up the phone to call anybody, but I’m much more concerned with companies that are here now. Those are the folks that are already committed to the community.”

One step, recently mentioned by Rowan County Commissioners at their recent retreat, was developing an incentive program for locally based business that plan to expand.

While discussing coming energy legislation, Hudson said he’d like to focus on workforce development in the energy sector.

“Are we preparing our workforce for the new energy jobs,” he asked the audience. “I think there’s tremendous opportunity for North Carolina when it comes to energy production. We’ve got huge reserves of oil and gas offshore. There is a potential for fracking here, but the key is to make sure it’s done in an environmentally friendly way, which can be done.”

Continuing on the economy, Hudson talked about the value of agriculture in the state. He is no longer serving on the U.S. House’s Agriculture Committee, instead Hudson said he’s the chair of a task force on agriculture policy. He’s also been assigned to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Another issue he talked about was tax reform, saying: “We can’t cut our way out of the mess we’re in right now.”

He said the best way to grow the economy was to have tax reform that closed loopholes, subsequently broadening and flattening rates.

Hudson’s most important job, he said, was constituent services.

“I tell my staff the most important thing we can do is return the phone call to that person back home,” he said. “It’s job one and it will continue to be as long as I’m your congressman.”

After the speech, Hudson fielded two questions — one about veterans issues and communicating effectively with leaders in Washington D.C.

He said the best way for the Veterans Affairs healthcare system to operate was focus on a few specific fields that it could perform efficiently, allowing hospitals and private providers to provide basic services.

Hudson addressed the second question by saying Rowan County has effective leaders and saying that he supported many of the projects that could be coming in Rowan County. He mentioned an Interstate 85 interchange in southern Rowan as an example.

Senators express condolences following death of former congressman

When former congressman Cass Ballenger died Wednesday, condolences poured out from both U.S. and state politicians.

Ballenger served in the North Carolina House from 1975 to 1977, in the State Senate from 1977 to 1986 before being elected to represent North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District. He served in congress from 1986 to 2005.

Ballenger died at a hospice facility in his hometown of Hickory.

In response to Ballenger’s passing, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said it was an honor to consider Ballenger as a colleague and mentor.

“Cass was wholly dedicated to serving the people of North Carolina and I often look to the example he set in his sincere attention to his constituents,” Burr said. “As a lawmaker, he was knowledgeable and careful, insisting on understanding all angles of an issue before making a plan, as evidenced in his transformation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.”

North Carolina’s junior senator Thom Tillis, likewise, expressed his condolences.

“Congressman Ballenger represented North Carolina’s foothills with distinction and was a leader in efforts to control the growing size and scope of the federal government and limit its day to day burden on hardworking families and small businesses,” Tillis said. “Susan and I extend our condolences to Cass’ family and to the many friends he made during his decades of service to the state of North Carolina.”

Coleman announces bid for Lieutenant Governor

Linda Coleman, a former state representative and chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, announced her candidacy Wednesday for Lieutenant Governor.

“I’m running for Lieutenant Governor because we need a new approach in Raleigh,” Coleman said in a prepared statement. “North Carolinians know that I am battle tested and ready to go to bat for the middle class and to create jobs for our future. I cannot sit by silently while we watch years of North Carolina’s progress upended by the Lieutenant Governor and the Republican General Assembly. My opponent has eagerly cheered on an ideological agenda that has hurt middle class families, rendered public education unrecognizable, and gutted women’s access to health care.”

Coleman is also the former director of the Office of State Personnel.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246