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North Carolina’s legislative long session begins on Jan. 25, where legislators will establish the state’s budget for the next two years.
A recent report showed North Carolina’s public school funding is among the lowest in the country. This year, the State Board of Education and N.C. Department of Public Instruction are asking legislators to allocate funding for digital learning, educator preparation, charter schools, and more.
And teacher salaries and licensure, school nutrition, calendar flexibility, school facilities, mental health, enrollment measurement, and funding for the Leandro plan are all expected to be on the docket as well.
There are several committees dedicated to education in both the House and the Senate, with focuses on K-12 education, community colleges, universities, and funding. These committees work on bills before they are voted on and help decide what bills are heard in the chamber.
Find a list of who’s who on each education committee below. We’ve included their role on the committee, political party, districts, occupation if listed, and a link to their page on the N.C. Legislature’s website.
House
Education Committee — K-12
Chairs
Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke: Blackwell has served five terms in the House. He is an attorney who lives in Valdese.
Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg: Cotham has served 5.5 terms in the House. She has no occupation listed on the N.C. legislative website.
Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston: Torbett’s listed occupation is a legislator. He has served seven terms in the House.
Vice Chairs
Rep. Cecil Brockman, D-Guilford: Legislator with five terms in the House.
Rep. Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland: Retired with two terms in the House.
Rep. David Willis, R-Union: Small business owner with two terms in the House.
Members
Rep. Cynthia Ball, D-Wake: Mediator
Rep. Brian Biggs, R–Randolph: Realtor
Rep. Laura Budd, D–Mecklenburg: Attorney
Rep. Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford: Educator
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, R-Alexander, Wilkes: Teacher
Rep. Ken Fontenot, R–Nash, Wilson: Pastor
Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake: Retired educator, state employee
Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick: Retired
Rep. Jake Johnson, R-Henderson, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford: Real estate
Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth: Consultant
Rep. Brandon Lofton, D-Mecklenburg: Lawyer
Rep. Marvin Lucas, D-Cumberland: Retired principal
Rep. Larry Potts, R-Davidson: Real estate investor, building contractor
Rep. Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance: Marine engineer, educator, thermographer
Rep. James Roberson, D-Wake: Retired
Rep. Phil Shepard, R–Onslow: Retired civil service, minister
Rep. Frank Sossamon, R–Granville, Vance: Sossamon funeral home
Rep. Larry Strickland, R-Johnston: Real estate appraiser, farmer
Rep. Julie von Haefen, D-Wake: No profession listed
Education Committee — Community Colleges
Chair
Rep. David Willis, R-Union: Willis is a small business owner who has served two terms in the House.
Vice Chair
Rep. Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland: Retired with two terms in the House.
Members
Rep. Jay Adams, R-Catawba: Commercial real estate broker
Rep. John R. Bradford, R-Mecklenburg: CEO, PetScreening, Inc.
Rep. Mark Brody, R-Anson, Union: Contractor
Rep. Gloristine Brown, D-Pitt: No profession listed
Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Jackson, Swain, Transylvania: Retired fire captain in the Charlotte Fire Department
Rep. Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford: Educator
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, R-Alexander, Wilkes: Teacher
Rep. Joe John, D-Wake: Legal consultant, mediator, arbitrator
Rep. Tim Longest, D-Wake: Attorney
Rep. Howard Penny, D-Harnett, Johnston: Retired agribusiness
Rep. Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe: Assistant director of admission at UNC-Asheville
Rep. Renée Price, D-Caswell, Orange: Consultant
Rep. John Sauls, R-Lee, Moore: Minister
Rep. Steve Tyson, R-Craven: Realtor and general contractor
Rep. Donna White, R-Johnston: Registered nurse, aging specialist
Education Committee — Universities
Chairs
Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford: Hardister works in marketing and has served six terms in the House.
Rep. Ray Pickett, R-Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga: Pickett’s occupation is listed as self-employed. He has two terms in the House.
Vice Chair
Rep. Kelly Hastings, R-Cleveland, Gaston: Realtor with seven terms in the House
Members
Rep. Kelly Alexander, D-Mecklenburg: Funeral director
Rep. Kristin Baker, R-Cabarrus: Physician
Rep. Gloristine Brown, D-Pitt: No profession listed
Rep. Allen Buansi, D-Orange: Attorney
Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg: Legislator, former county commissioner
Rep. Kevin Crutchfield, R–Cabarrus, Rowan: CFO of Casco Signs, Inc.
Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover: Attorney
Rep. Wesley Harris, D-Mecklenburg: Economic consultant
Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie, Rowan, Yadkin: Appraiser, realtor
Rep. Neal Jackson, R-Moore, Randolph: Pastor
Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth: Consultant
Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham: Retired district court judge
Rep. Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe: Assistant director of admission at UNC-Asheville
Rep. Timothy Reeder, R-Pitt: Physician at East Carolina University Emergency Medicine
Education Appropriations
Chairs
Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford: Hardister works in marketing and has served six terms in the House. He is also the chair of the Universities Education Committee.
Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston: Torbett’s listed occupation is a legislator. He has served seven terms in the House. He is also the chair of the K-12 Education Committee.
Rep. David Willis, R-Union: Willis is a small business owner who has served two terms in the House. He is also the chair of the Community Colleges Education Committee.
Vice Chair
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, R-Alexander, Wilkes: Teacher with six terms in the House
Members
Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke: Attorney
Rep. Cecil Brockman, D-Guilford: Legislator
Rep. Kevin Crutchfield, R–Cabarrus, Rowan: CFO of Casco Signs, Inc.
Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake: Retired educator, state employee
Rep. Zack Hawkins, D-Durham: No profession listed
Rep. Marvin Lucas, D-Cumberland: Retired principal
Rep. Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe: Assistant director of admission at UNC-Asheville
Rep. Frank Sossamon, R–Granville, Vance: Sossamon funeral home
Rep. Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland: Retired
Senate
Education/Higher Education
Chairs
N.C. Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover: Lee has served more than four terms in the Senate.
N.C. Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, Randolph: Galey has served two terms in the Senate.
Members
Sen. Lisa Barnes, R-Franklin, Nash, Vance
Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake
Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania
Sen. David Craven, R-Anson, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Union
Sen. Michael Garrett, D-Guilford
Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Tyrrell, Warren
Sen. Michael Lazzara, R-Onslow
Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Mecklenburg
Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe
Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Cumberland, Moore
Sen. Natalie Murdock, D-Chatham, Durham
Sen. E.S. Newton, R-Greene, Wayne, Wilson
Sen. Brad Overcash, R-Gaston
Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford
Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Cartaret, Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Washington
Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston
Sen. Joyce Waddell, D-Mecklenburg
Education/Higher Education Appropriations
Chairs
N.C. Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, Randolph: Galey has served two terms in the Senate. She is also the chair of the Education/Higher Education Committee.
N.C. Sen. Lisa Barnes, R-Franklin, Nash, Vance: Barnes has served two terms in the Senate, and one term in the House.
N.C. Sen. Dean Proctor, R-Caldwell, Catawba: Proctor has served over two terms in the Senate.
Members
Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake
Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Tyrrell, Warren
Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe
Sen. Joyce Waddell, D-Mecklenburg
Sen. Brad Overcash, R-Gaston
Correction: This article has been updated with the accurate profession for Rep. James Roberson, D-Wake.
