Coastal legislators named to House, Senate committees

Leaders of North Carolina’s House and Senate have announced committee appointments, including numerous legislators representing coastal districts, for the 2023 long session that begins next week.

House Speaker Tim Moore announced Tuesday that state House committees had been formed. Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, announced his chamber’s committee appointments Jan. 10.

Both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly are scheduled to convene at noon Wednesday, Jan. 23.

“As the long session gets underway, I look forward to working with this bipartisan group of leaders to ensure an even stronger North Carolina. We have a strong group of committee chairs this session, and I am confident that they will continue to propel our state forward and to the top of the pack,” Moore said in a statement.

Legislators representing coastal districts were appointed to House committees as follows:

• Agriculture – Rep. Edward C. Goodwin, a Republican representing Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties, as member; and Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Republican representing Beaufort, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico counties, as member.
• Alcoholic Beverage Control – Rep. Shelly Willingham, a democrat representing Bertie, Edgecombe and Martin counties, as chair.
• Appropriations – Reps. George G. Cleveland, R-Onslow; Ted Davis, Jr., R-New Hanover; Rep. Goodwin; Frank Iler, R-Brunswick; Charles W. Miller, R-Brunswick and New Hanover; Phil Shepard, R-Onslow; and Carson Smith, R-Onslow and Pender, as vice chairs. Reps. Celeste C. Cairns, R-Carteret and Craven counties; Bill Ward, R-Camden, Gates, Hertford and Pasquotank; and Rep. Willingham as members.
• Appropriations, Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources – Rep. Goodwin as chair and Rep. Cairns as member.
• Appropriations, General Government — Rep. Cleveland as chair and Rep. Ward as member.
• Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety – Reps. Davis, Miller and Smith as chairs.
• Appropriations, Transportation – Reps. Iler and Shepard as chairs and Rep. Willingham as a member.
• Banking – Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover; Rep. Cairns; Rep. Kidwell; Steve Tyson, R-Craven, as members.
• Commerce – Rep. Tyson as vice chair and Reps. Butler, Iler and Shepard as members.
• Disaster Recovery and Homeland Security – Rep. Davis as a member.
• Education – Community Colleges – Rep. Tyson as a member.
• Education – K-12 – Reps. Iler and Shepard as members.
• Education – Universities – Rep. Davis as a member.
• Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform — Reps. Davis, Iler and Willingham as members.
• Energy and Public Utilities – Rep. Miller as a vice chair and Rep. Cairns as a member.
• Environment – Rep. Iler as a chair, Davis as a vice chair and Goodwin and Kidwell as a member.
• Ethics – Rep. Davis as a member.
• Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs – Rep. Willingham as a member.
• Finance – Rep. Kidwell as a senior chair, Tyson as chair and Butler as a member.
• Health – Reps. Tyson and Shepard as a members.
• Insurance — Rep. Willingham as a vice chair and Reps. Cleveland and Tyson as members.
• Judiciary 1 – Rep. Davis as chair.
• Judiciary 2 – Rep. Miller as vice chair, Rep. Smith as a member.
• Judiciary 3 – Rep. Kidwell as a member.
• Local Government — Rep. Miller as a member.
• Marine Resources and Aquaculture – Rep. Cleveland as chair, Rep. Cairns as vice chair and Reps. Goodwin, Iler, Kidwell and Miller as members.
• Military and Veterans Affairs – Rep. Goodwin as a chair, Rep. Cleveland as a vice chair and Rep. Cairns as a member.
• Oversight Reform – Reps. Cleveland and Willingham as members.
• Pensions and Retirement – Rep. Smith as a chair.
• Regulatory Reform — Reps. Butler and Kidwell as members.
• Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House – Reps. Davis, Tyson and Willingham as members.
• State Government — Rep. Ward as member.
• State Personnel – Reps. Goodwin and Willingham as members.
• Transportation – Reps. Tyson and Shepard as a chair, Reps. Cleveland and Iler as vice chairs and Reps. Butler, Goodwin and Miller as members.
• UNC Board of Governors Nominations – Rep. Davis as a vice chair.
• Unemployment Insurance – Rep. Butler as a member.
• Wildlife Resources – Rep. Smith as a member.

A complete list of committee assignments is available on the House speaker’s website.

Senate committee appointments

Berger, in his announcement earlier this month, described committees as “integral” to the legislature’s work.

“The committee meetings allow for debate, compromise, and public input, to produce legislation that becomes law,” Sen. Berger said in a statement. “I want to thank all of the Senators for their willingness to bring their expertise to help create a better North Carolina.”

Sen. Berger plans to appoint the following legislators representing coastal districts:

• Agriculture, Energy, and Environment — Sens. Brent Jackson, a Republican who represents Bladen, Duplin, Jones, Pender, Sampson counties, and Norman W. Sanderson, a Republican who represents Carteret, Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Washington counties, as chairs. Sens. Bobby Hanig, a Republican who represents Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Tyrrell and Warren counties, and Bill Rabon, a Republican who represents Brunswick, Columbus and New Hanover counties were named as members.
• Appropriations/Base Budget — Sens. Jackson, and Michael V. Lee, a Republican representing New Hanover counties as chairs and Sens. Rabon and Sanderson as members.
• Commerce and Insurance — Sens. Brent Jackson and Jim Perry, a Republican who represents Beaufort, Craven and Lenoir counties, as members.
• Education/Higher Education — Sen. Lee as chair and Sens. Hanig, Michael A. Lazzara, a Republican representing Onslow County, and Sanderson as members.
• Finance — Sens. Rabon and Perry as chair and Sens. Jackson, Lazzara and Lee as members.
• Health Care — Sen. Perry as member.
• Judiciary — Sens. Lazzara, Lee and Sanderson as members.
• Pensions and Retirement and Aging — Sen. Hanig as member.
• Redistricting and Elections — Sens. Jackson, Perry, Rabon and Sanderson as members.
• Rules and Operations of the Senate — Sen. Rabon as chair with members Sens. Jackson, Lee, Perry and Sanderson.
• State and Local Government — Sens. Hanig and Lazzara as members.
• Transportation — Sen. Lazzara as chair with Sen. Rabon as member.
• Joint Legislative Committee on Governmental Operations — Sen. Burger as chair. Sens. Jackson, Lee, Perry, Rabon and Sanderson as members.
• Select Committee on Nominations — Sen. Rabon as chair. Sens. Jackson and Sanderson as members.
• Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources — Sen. Sanderson as chair.
• Appropriations on Education/Higher Education — Sen. Hanig as member.
• Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety — Sen. Sanderson as member.
• Appropriations on Department of Transportation — Sen. Lazzara as chair and Sen. Rabon as member.

A complete list of Senate committee assignments is available on the Senate leader’s website.