Sen. Mike Woodard, candidate for North Carolina Senate District 22, People's Alliance PAC 2014 Questionnaire

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Mike Woodard
People’s Alliance PAC 2014 Questionnaire
for NC Senate Candidates
Candidate’s name: Mike Woodard
Senate District: 22
Residence address: 2009 Woodrow Street, Durham, NC 27705
Cell-phone Number: 919.599.5143
E-mail: mike@mikewoodard.com
1. What is your understanding of the relationship between the NC DENR and Duke Power?
Who should pay for the cleanup of the Dan River coal ash spill? - the Duke Power ratepayers,
the Duke Power shareholders, the NC taxpayers, others?
Since the Dan River runs through Caswell County when it leaves Danville, and Duke
Energy maintains two other coal ash ponds in Person County, this is a critical issue for
District 22. I was the first legislator to tour the Eden site and was appalled at what I
saw. It is clear that we as a state government—legislative and executive branches—
have not properly regulated the coal ash ponds throughout their existence over the
last 50+ years. The Kingston, TN spill should have been a wake-up call, but, sadly, it
wasn’t. I am confident that relevant legislation will come out of the short session, and I
am actively working on such a bill.
The cost for cleaning up the Dan River and for relocating the coal ash should be borne
wholly by Duke Energy shareholders.
2. In what circumstances it would be appropriate for North Carolina’s state and local
governments to enact environmental regulations that are stricter than minimum federal
environmental regulatory standards? Please explain.
State and local governments should have this ability in all circumstances, unless the
actions endanger the public or are unconstitutional. Likewise, local governments
should have the ability to enact regulations stricter than state regulations. Such
regulations should be a matter for local residents to decide through their local
elections.
3. Please explain your views on state preemption of local regulatory authority, including
stormwater regulatory matters and hydraulic fracturing.
I am opposed to the state preempting local regulatory authority and worked actively
against all such efforts during my first term.
4. What is your position on public funding for vouchers/charter schools/private schools? Do
you support the McCrory administration’s current proposal related to teacher salaries?
I oppose public funding for school vouchers and private schools. I support public
funding for charter schools that are properly overseen by the Department of Public
Instruction and work in cooperation with their communities’ local education agencies.

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5. Would you support strengthening the state watershed protection rules to protect drinking
water supplies even if it meant restricting the density of developments in proximity to the
water supplies?
Yes.
6. The McCrory administration refused Federal funding to extend Medicare [Medicaid] Funding
in North Carolina. Do you agree with this? In light of this, what can be done to extend health
care funding to North Carolinians?
I did not support the administration’s and legislative leadership’s decision to refuse
expanded Medicaid funding and vigorously argued against it in committee and floor
debates. I will continue working hard to protect Community Care of North Carolina and
our local community health care centers, and to resist any efforts to use commercial
managed-care organizations.
7. What type of revenue/tax structure would you support for North Carolina? How can the state
best balance the need to raise revenues with tax fairness and a desire to minimize the impact of
taxes on economic decisions?
I support a plan that: establishes one personal income tax bracket (six percent),
exempts the first $11,000 for joint returns, and replaces standard and itemized
deductions with tax credits; establishes the corporate income tax rate at six percent
and eliminates many of the current credits; cuts the franchise tax rate, but extends it to
LLCs; and reduces the sales tax rate to 4.5 percent and applies it to a broader range
of services than those that have traditionally been taxed.
8. The 2009 Racial Justice Act (RJA) uncovered statewide racial bias in jury selection in death
penalty cases. The evidence of bias remains, though the law has been repealed. Will you work
to make sure no person is executed with evidence of racial bias as determined under the 2009
RJA?
Yes.
9. What is your position on the Affordable Care Act and how it will affect North Carolina health
care consumers and the medical care system?
I support the Affordable Care Act. Despite the disastrous rollout of the healthcare.org
website, implementation of the ACA will prove to be beneficial to health care
consumers as less wealthy and younger populations will be better covered, in addition
to those with preexisting conditions who will be guaranteed coverage. Eventually, we
will see more insurance companies offer policies, providing a broader range of
consumers with better and less costly choices.
10. What are your views on the rights (including whether any such rights exist) of homosexual
persons to marry? Did you vote for or against Amendment One?
Both the Constitution and recently-enacted federal laws, along with an increasing
number of state laws, affirm the rights of same-sex couples to marry. I voted against—
and actively worked against—Amendment One.
11. Are you conservative or liberal? Please choose one and then explain your answer.
My views on political and social issues cannot be characterized in one word or a
simple phrase.

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12. Please describe how your religious and philosophical beliefs may affect your conduct and
decision making if you are elected.
I try to live my life—personal, professional, and public—following two verses, one from
the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.
Micah 6:8
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk
humbly with your God.
Matthew 22:34-40
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of
them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: “Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all
your hear and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law
and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
13. Where were you born and where have you lived?
My family traces its roots in eastern North Carolina back to the early 1700s, so I have
always considered that home. My farther served in the Air Force for 22 years, and I
was born in Charleston, SC when he was stationed there. During his career in the
military, our family also lived in Anchorage, AK and Mountain Home, ID. Dad was sent
to Vietnam when I was nine, and my mother, my brother, and I returned to my parents’
home county, Wilson, NC. I completed high school there and consider Wilson my
hometown. After graduating from Duke, I chose to make Durham my home.
14. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense other than a minor traffic offense (such as
speeding)? If the answer is yes, please describe the circumstances and the outcome.
No.
15. Who did you vote for in the 2008 and 2012 presidential and gubernatorial elections?
2008: President Obama and Governor Perdue
2012: President Obama and Lieutenant Governor Dalton