Potts, Phillips vie for District 81 seat

Oct. 25--The race to represent the western part of Davidson County in the N.C. House of Representatives has come down to Republican incumbent Larry Potts and Democrat challenger Dr. Lewie Phillips.

Potts has served since January 2017 and is seeking his second term in office. As a representative, Potts has sponsored about a dozen bills and co-sponsored more than 40 bills. Prior to the State House, he served as a Davidson County Commissioner for more than 20 years.

Phillips is a former science teacher at Lexington Senior High School and a past member of the Lexington City Council. He has worked for Davidson Vision, which is a nonprofit organization that addressed countywide issues in the areas of education, recreation, leadership development and quality of life. Phillips was the organization's administrator and program development coordinator.

Potts defeated Eric Osborne in the May primary, garnering almost 75 percent of the vote. Phillips was the only Democratic candidate, so he did not participate in a primary.

What healthcare reform do you support for North Carolina?

Potts: Due to the fact the federal (government) operates 19.9 trillion dollars in debt, I am not for expanding Medicaid due to the fact this could one day be passed on to the state and possibly the counties. The mental health in N.C. is in disarray as evidenced by the recent Cardinal Innovations take over by the state. As a member of the House health committee, we are working on reform both for mental health and existing insurance industry health insurance reform but there is no "one size fits all" solution for health care. I support expanding the opportunity for employment so individuals can obtain private coverage.

Phillips: In North Carolina, more than 600,000 working people fall in the healthcare coverage gap. North Carolina can close this gap by accepting federal funds meant to help working families that earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid, but still can't afford to pay for health care. Expanding Medicaid would ease the burden on rural hospitals, create 40,000 jobs, save lives and connect people with quality mental health care. It's time we help people get the quality health care they need.

Which constitutional amendments do you support or not support, and why?

Phillips: I do not support any of the proposed constitutional amendments. The supermajority political party in Raleigh is asking to rewrite our constitution, pushing through unprecedented, unnecessary and politically driven measures. Any attempt to change our Constitution should be deliberate and bipartisan. A bipartisan group of leaders -- including six governors, six former chief justices agree. North Carolina must send a loud message by voting "against" each of the proposed constitutional amendments.

Potts: I support all six amendments -- giving the voters to opportunity is the best solution for change as compared to a legislative law. The voters now have the opportunity to determine the merit of the amendments.

What would be your top-3 goals as a senator/representative?

Potts: Top three goals are providing a vibrant economy that gives everyone an opportunity for success, providing additional funding and opportunities for education including continued teacher raises, eliminating unnecessary government regulation on citizens and industry that stifle productivity.

Phillips: 1. Public education -- re-establish our public education system as one of the best in the country. This would mean raising teacher pay, increasing per pupil funding levels and recruit and retain effective teachers. 2. Ensure clean air and safe drinking water -- from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Outer Banks, North Carolina's natural treasures are the most beautiful in the country. We need to protect them and ensure that our citizens have clean air and drinking water free from pollutants like GenX. That begins with reversing harmful cuts to the Department of Environmental Quality. Since 2013, 70 water quality and water resources positions have been cut from state environmental stewards. Democrats will fight to tackle emerging threats, such as GenX, and clean up old ones, like coal ash. 3. Bring back the state earned income tax credit to put more money in working families' pockets -- nearly one million poor and middle-class families relied on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) each year to put more money in their pockets and more food on the table. But North Carolina eliminated it in 2014, the only state to do so in 30 years. We need to bring relief to working people and put more money in their pockets by bringing back the EITC

Ben Coley can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 227 or at ben.coley@the-dispatch.com. Follow Ben on Twitter: @LexDispatchBC

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