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Electric Vehicle Maker Vinfast Brings Manufacturing Plant to North Carolina

Today, Vinfast, a Vietnamese automotive manufacturer introducing a full line of electric vehicles to the North American market, announced that the company will build its first manufacturing and final assembly plant in Chatham County, at the Triangle Innovation Point Megasite. 
 
On the heels of today’s announcement North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore said, “The arrival of Vinfast to North Carolina is great news for our state and for the thousands of North Carolinians who will fill the new jobs created as a result. Today’s announcement marks significant investments in infrastructure, transportation, and workforce development.”
 
He continued, “North Carolina has distinguished itself as an attractive place for companies to land and continues to be recognized as a top state for businesses, thanks in large part to the hard work of the legislature that has resulted in lower taxes, fewer regulatory roadblocks, and a stronger workforce.”
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Governor Cooper Vetoes Free the Smiles Act

Today, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the Free the Smiles Act. The bill would have given parents the right to opt out of student mask mandates for their children.
 
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said, “I am disappointed that Governor Cooper has vetoed this common-sense bill. All health care decisions for our students belong with their parents, not with politicians or bureaucrats.”
 
He continued, “Actions speak louder than words, and the governor should do more than ‘encourage’ schools to lift their mask mandates. Return this decision back to parents.”
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NC House Speaker Tim Moore: New Bill Will Return Student Masking Decisions to Parents

Today, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore announced a new bill that will give parents the right to opt out of student mask mandates for their children.
 
Although Governor Cooper said last week that the NC DHHS would be updating COVID guidelines for students, the only update to the toolkit was to contact tracing. Unfortunately, North Carolina students are still masked in the classroom.
 
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Let me be clear: It’s parents, not politicians who should be making these decisions for their children. As other states across the country lift mask mandates and restrictions, North Carolina’s children will not be left behind.”
 
He continued, “Confusing guidance from politicians has kept student masking policies in place, despite the fact that children are the demographic with the lowest risk, cases are plummeting, and the data has shown the learning loss and delays that have resulted from ongoing restrictions. It is time to return this decision back to parents, where it belongs.”
 
Senate Bill 671 is scheduled to be heard tomorrow in House Education K-12 at 9:00 AM.
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Toyota Brings Megasite, 1,750 Jobs, to North Carolina

Today Toyota Motor North America announced they will be building a major-scale battery manufacturing plant to North Carolina, bringing 1,750 jobs to Greensboro, NC.
 
Toyota will invest $1.29 billion at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, which will initially produce batteries for Toyota’s hybrid electric vehicles and later produce batteries for battery electric vehicles in the long term.
 

Continue reading “Toyota Brings Megasite, 1,750 Jobs, to North Carolina”

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North Carolina Rep. Susan Fisher Will Retire From State House

Today, Representative Susan Fisher of Asheville announced that she will officially retire from her elected office effective December 31, 2021.
 
Representative Fisher has represented NC House District 114 for 18 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, and she is is currently Minority Whip in the North Carolina House.
 
House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Representative Fisher joined the North Carolina House 18 years ago, and we have served together ever since. Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand her dedication to her district and her constituents there. It has been an honor to serve the people of North Carolina alongside Rep. Fisher, and I am thankful for her commitment to this body and to work tirelessly for those she represents.”
 
Representative Fisher will be leaving office on December 31, 2021.
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House Bill 324 Gets Final Approval, Heads to Governor

Today in a vote of 60-41, House Bill 324, “Ensuring Dignity/ Nondiscrimination in Public Schools” received final approval in the North Carolina House of Representatives. The bill would prohibit public school units from officially promoting certain concepts that are contrary to the equality and rights of all persons, including critical race theory.
 
House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Our schools should be a place where our children are educated and inspired. However, some have hijacked our classrooms to instill their own hateful, anti-American values in our students, while any opposing viewpoints to this theory from students or other teachers are met with rebuke, even bullying.”
 
He continued, “Our schools should be safe havens of free thought and expression rather than camps for radical indoctrination. Using our classrooms to promote the lie that our children are inherently racist does more to divide than unite. This has no place in North Carolina schools.”
 
According to a recent survey, just 33 percent of voters agreed with the statement that “white Americans are inherently racist whether they know it or not because they benefit from the American culture of systematic racism and white privilege.”
 
Lt. Governor Mark Robinson extended his support for HB 324, saying, “North Carolina needs to take the lead in protecting our children from anti-American indoctrination. While we should know and understand the history of our country, we need to teach the next generation what lessons we learned from our past, how far we have come as a nation.”
 
He continued, “The F.A.C.T.S. Task Force and the Indoctrination in North Carolina Public Education Report produced by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor sheds light on a problem affecting public education in our state. It is time we return to teaching our children how to think, and not what to think.”
 
The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for his signature.
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North Carolina House Members Survey Devastating Flood Damage, Visit Victims in Western North Carolina

House Speaker Tim Moore And Contingency of Members Visit the Aftermath of Flood Disaster to Meet With Constituents, First Responders

 

Today, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) and a contingency of House members visited Western North Carolina to survey the aftermath of the flooding from Tropical Storm Fred as the search continues for survivors.
 
North Carolina House members on site with Speaker Moore included Representative Pless, Representative Clampitt, Representative Gillespie, and Representative Miller.
 
They met with local officials, disaster relief workers, and constituents who are still reeling from the devastation.
 
Following the visit, House Speaker Tim Moore said, “One can never be prepared to see devastation like this in person. The images of emergency personnel who are still searching for bodies, the stories of lives lost in a matter of minutes from a wall of water that swept away everything in its path, the victims bravely picking up the pieces of what was lost— these are images that will be seared in my memory forever.”
 
He continued, “The people of Western North Carolina are strong and will recover from this extraordinary natural disaster. We will do all we can to support them in the coming days and months as they rebuild.”
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House Budget Passes With Bipartisan Support

Includes historic investments in infrastructure, capital projects, education, $2 billion in tax cuts, and more

 
The House budget passed its third and final reading in a bipartisan vote Thursday afternoon, shining a spotlight on infrastructure, growth, and innovative projects to propel the state forward.
 
The House budget that was approved includes historic funding for infrastructure, capital projects, education, and more.
 
Among other things, the House budget invests:
 
  • $2 billion in tax cuts over the next two years
  • $5.8 billion in capital projects and infrastructure
  • Over $1 billion in broadband expansion
  • 5.5% teacher raises
  • 2.5% state employee raises
  • $465 million in disaster-related programs
  • $500 million for small business grants for COVID recovery
  • $2.8 billion in our savings reserve
 
The House budget also:
 

  • Restores Master’s pay supplement for teachers

  • Provides teachers with 8 weeks of paid parental leave

  • Eliminates requirement for teachers to pay for substitutes when using leave

  • Makes unemployment benefits nontaxable income

  • Invests in mental health facilities

House Speaker Tim Moore said, “Historic investments in infrastructure, capital projects, education, and mental health are just a few of the great things that make this budget the right way forward for North Carolina.”
 
He continued, “We have a budget that truly addresses the needs of all North Carolinians, many of which have been discussed for years by both parties. Now, thanks to the tight fiscal management we have historically voted for in this chamber, our state’s surplus allows us to invest in the right projects that propel our state forward. I look forward to negotiating with the Senate and Governor Cooper to come up with a final product that does the greatest amount of good for all North Carolinians.”
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Speaker Moore Calls for NC to Lead the Way for Reliable, Affordable, and Sustainable Energy

Today, in a new opinion piece written with GOPAC chairman David Avella, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore calls for reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions across the country and for North Carolina to lead the way.
 
Speaker Moore said in the piece, “I, Tim Moore, am determined to have North Carolina showing the path for others to follow. A diverse group of energy policy stakeholders was brought together to confront the challenges facing consumers. The legislation developed will secure decades of reliable, affordable, and, yes, cleaner power for North Carolinians.”
 
He continued further, “The Modernize Energy Generation legislation supports a mix of generation technologies that includes new combined-cycle natural gas power plants. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these facilities produce about 60% less carbon than coal plants. The legislation also commits $50 million to facilitate early site permitting for a new, advanced modular nuclear facility — a source of energy that generates zero emissions.”
 
The Op-Ed, entitled “Americans don’t have to live in the dark” can be read in full at the Washington Examiner.
 
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NC House Passes SB 116 to Get North Carolina Back to Work

Today the North Carolina House of Representatives passed SB 116, the “Get North Carolina Back to Work Act” in a 71-36 overwhelming bipartisan vote.
 
The bill would make unemployment benefits non-taxable income and withdraw our state from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Agreement (FPUC.)
 
“This bill is the way to restore strength in our economy, and finally move forward, to put this pandemic in the rear view mirror,” said House Speaker Tim Moore.
 
He continued, “This is a common-sense, reasonable approach to taking care of the people of this state, businesses, and the overall economy of this state.”
 
Click here for the Speaker’s floor speech in its entirety.