By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

When legislators return to Raleigh this week, Rowan County’s members of the N.C. General Assembly will chair committees that range from state personnel to transportation.

Last week, legislative leaders announced chairs of committees for House and Senate members. State senators have also received their regular committee assignments.

Sen. Andrew Brock, R-34, is the longest-serving member of Rowan County’s legislative delegation. Brock’s district covers most of the county, including: northern Kannapolis, Landis, Granite Quarry, Faith, Spencer, East Spencer Salisbury Cleveland, Mount Ulla and Woodleaf.

He will serve as co-chairman of the Senate’s Finance Committee. Brock said the committee oversees items such as taxation.

Brock called his appointment to be one of three co-chairs for finance “a great honor.”

Committees Brock will serve on as a regular member include: Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources; Base Budget Appropriations; and Rules and Operations of the Senate.

Sen. Tom McInnis, R-25, is entering his second term in the General Assembly. McInnis’ district covers the southern-most portions of Rowan County, including: China Grove, Rockwell and Gold Hill. He’s been assigned two co-chairman positions — Transportation and Appropriations for the Department of Transportation.

McInnis said he was “humbled and very gratified” to be appointed to his two co-chairman positions.

In the North Carolina House, Reps. Carl Ford, R-76, and Harry Warren, said they had only received a chairman appointment and are still waiting on regular committee assignments.

Ford’s district covers northern Kannapolis, parts of eastern Cabarrus County, Rockwell, Gold Hill, parts of Salisbury and East Spencer. He’s entering his third term. He will serve as chairman of State and Local Government I. There are two such committees in the State House.

Warren’s district covers parts of Salisbury, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Faith, Mt. Ulla, Cleveland and Woodleaf. He is entering his fourth term in the state House.

Last week, Warren was appointed chairman of the House’s State Personnel Committee.

During a Rowan County Chamber of Commerce forum last week, Warren said the chair positions this year more accurately reflect talents and experience of N.C. House members. Warren, for example, formerly worked as a human resources specialist. Ford served as a county commissioner before running for the North Carolina House of Representatives.

If it’s single-payer, count Hudson out

If President Donald Trump sticks to a recent statement that Obamacare will be replaced with “insurance for everybody,” he may have some opposition from at least one North Carolina Republican.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Trump told the newspaper his plan to replace Obamacare would include “insurance for everybody.” Specifics about Trump’s plans were scant. If his plan amounts to a single-payer plan, it won’t have the support of Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8. Hudson sits on the Health Subcommittee.

Hudson toured his district last week to talk with hospital staff at four facilities. He tour included stops in Salisbury, Concord, Pinehurst and Raeford. Hudson said Congress will write the replacement in subcommittee hearings.

When asked last week about Trump’s statement, Hudson said. “I don’t know what he meant by that.”

Asked specifically about implementing a singe-payer plan, which amounts to government-provided insurance, Hudson called the idea a mistake.

“There’s two philosophies of how you deliver health care. There’s the government does it. The government sets the prices and guarantees everybody has it,” Hudson said in an interview last week. “We’ve tried that and the ultimate version of that would be single-payer. It hasn’t worked work because when the government sets the prices, prices go up and you get less competition.”

Hudson said he prefers a market-based solution.

He hasn’t yet scheduled an in-person town hall meeting to solicit feedback about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. So far, Hudson said he’s done one “telephone town hall” and solicited input through social media.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246