Representative Robert Brawley, District 95
♦I think the General Assembly is doing some very good things and I would love to be talking about the bills we passed and the issues we debated. Unfortunately though, it seems I am the center of news this week.
In my debates opposing toll roads on Tuesday on the House floor, I said the Speaker told the trucking association there would be no toll corridors in North Carolina. He had said that if I-95 became a toll road, then I-77, in his district, could become one also and he did not want that to happen. That was two years ago and he was pretty emphatic about not supporting tolls.
Yesterday, the Speaker called me into his office and was angry because he interpreted what I said one way and I interpreted it another way. I thought what I said was the Department of Transportation (DOT) was tolling I-77 and the General Assembly needed to take that authority away from the DOT and make those decisions. That way, no one else could get tolled and the General Assembly could stop it now if the spirit was there from the “leadership”. But, the Speaker interpreted it as me accusing him of flip-flopping on the issue of toll roads. I have to say that if he did tell the truckers there would be no toll corridors in North Carolina, he is not supporting that position now. He says hot lanes are not toll roads. My view is that hot lanes, privilege lanes, or whatever you want to call them, are toll roads if you have to pay a toll or tax to get on them.
I am sure you will hear many versions about the events that led to my resignation of House Finance chair, but this is mine. I received a message around 11:45 a.m. to come by the Speaker’s office before a 1 p.m. photo session. I immediately dropped what I was doing and went to the Speaker’s office because that is what you do when the Speaker says to come. When I arrived I was told to come back before 1 p.m. so I would be there when the Speaker arrived at 1 p.m. I arrived a little before 1 p.m. and the Speaker came in from a press conference. We exchanged cordialities and he told me he was upset about what I had said. I asked him what, in particular, had upset him and he explained his interpretation of my statement about the trucking association. He stated he had made that statement two years ago to the association and it was true, but we disagreed on the interpretation. I told him I was sorry he was upset but I was discussing the issues. He then said that was it, I would no longer be a Finance chair and he wanted me to bring my gavel to him. I told him I had been thinking about stepping down. He told me that was good and to bring the letter I had been working on and the gavel to session at 1:15 p.m. I did and the Speaker accepted the gavel and read the letter into the House Journal.
Although I am no longer a chair of the Finance Committee, I am still a legislator with the same privileges and responsibilities that go along with being a legislator. If a group of people decide to make it a personal, confrontational issue and take retribution for my being honest, I will suffer. However, I will thrive to be a good legislator and to get the things done a legislator needs to do. When the Democrats were in charge, I was able to work and get a lot of things done without my name on a bill and I believe I can still get it done. Putting your name in lights is not the only way to get things done. Sometimes honest work and accepting responsibility will get a lot more done.
I am sorry this has happened and I apologize to anyone I have offended. You, however, elected me to stand by my convictions. I think the issues that were brought forward and the problems we have are things that need to be corrected.
I expect the budget to be debated heavily next week. It is being discussed this week and the House tax package is to be presented Tuesday morning for discussion purposes and possibly be voted on Thursday. Of course, things can change as they always have the opportunity to do.
Wednesday night, MUMPO voted for hot lanes against public sentiment in our area. The Speaker stated two years ago he does not want any toll roads on any corridors in North Carolina. I ask the Speaker now to join me in helping stop this train wreck headed for Mecklenburg County. At this point, the General Assembly is the primary stopper because it controls the budget. The General Assembly authorizes the DOT on what it can and cannot do. Even when a law is passed that says everything is left up to the DOT, the General Assembly can come right behind it and pass a law that says the DOT cannot make that decision but can make other decisions. The decision is still up to the General Assembly. If the public wants to stop toll roads, it needs to be clear to the General Assembly that Robert Brawley is not the only one that opposes toll roads in North Carolina. If the Speaker changes his mind about toll roads, I-77 will be general purpose lanes when it is widened and not toll lanes. I ask for your help and support in this endeavor.
Thank you for your interest in good government. If there are issues we need to discuss, please contact me. Again, it is an honor and a privilege to serve you and I do the best I can to represent the majority in our district.
Representative C. Robert Brawley
District 95
North Carolina House of Representatives
303 Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
(919) 733-5741
Robert.Brawley@ncleg.net
