NC House 117 candidate profile: Jennifer Balkcom

The Times-News is running answers from both candidates in the race for N.C. House of Representatives District 117.

The seat is currently held by Republican Tim Moffitt, who is now in the race for N.C. Senate District 48.

Republican Jennifer Balkcom is up against Democrat Michael O’Shea.

If elected, what are your top policy priorities?

My first priority will always be the citizens of Henderson County. To achieve that, my goals are twofold: 1) to provide Henderson County with the best constituent service in the General Assembly, and 2) to guarantee that Henderson County always has the most effective representation in the State House. As Senators Apodaca and Edwards and Representatives McGrady and Moffitt have demonstrated so well over the years, Henderson County’s interests have been best served by working closely, collaboratively, and often behind-the-scenes with others to get the job done. I will work hard every day to continue in that tradition.

In terms of policy, certainly a personal priority is the preservation of farmland. I know first-hand how important family farms are to our food production and our food security. Sadly, we’re losing too many of them to commercial, industrial and residential over-development. Farmland preservation is very important to me.

Representative Moffitt is currently working on an innovative solution that will address this problem by establishing a trust fund to purchase development rights without any cost to the taxpayer. This will maintain the land for agricultural purposes, free from the financial pressures to develop it. I support that effort.

What do you believe is the role of the General Assembly in battling rising inflation?

We can mitigate some of the pain that inflation is causing us by keeping North Carolina’s economy strong. To do that, we should stay the course with common sense, fiscally conservative policies that help our state’s families and businesses thrive: like cutting (and ideally eliminating) the state income tax, continuing to reduce costly and burdensome regulations on businesses, and other measures that will maintain our top ranking as a business-friendly state.

Would you support legislation that limits or prohibits abortion in North Carolina?

I am pro-life and I will vote accordingly if I am elected.

What is your position on expanding Medicaid in North Carolina?

I oppose expanding Medicaid at this time. Medicaid was designed to provide health insurance and health services to our most vulnerable citizens. It makes no sense to add tens of millions of able-bodied childless adults to Medicaid, which is what expansion entails. I agree with our State Auditor, Beth Wood. She said that “you just can’t keep putting a bunch of people into a system that is already broken.” The result is substandard care for those folks who need it the most. And Medicaid spending is projected to grow exponentially. Where are all those billions of dollars going to come from to pay for it?

What is the role of the state government in addressing gun violence and crime?

We should continue to fund programs that deal effectively with mental health and drug dependency issues, which are often precursors to crime. But gun violence and crime are symptoms of much deeper problems we have in this country, including the erosion of our moral standards, the breakdown of the family, and devaluation of innocent human life. While those things can’t be fixed in Raleigh or Washington, we can stand up to the activist agitators who demand defunding the police and allow for the release violent criminals back on to the streets. Every day we hear stories of senseless and brutal killings being perpetrated by repeat offenders who should still be in jail, thanks to weak-kneed liberal judges and “progressive” district attorneys.

What are your views on reaching across the aisle to make progress on issues that affect the citizens of North Carolina?

I’m all for reaching across the aisle. I think the best policies are the ones that have a broad base of support, and that includes from unaffiliated voters, Democrats, and Republicans alike.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: NC House 117 candidate profile: Jennifer Balkcom