Allen Buansi, candidate for NC House District 56

Name: Allen Buansi

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 36

Campaign website: allenbuansi.com

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BA, Dartmouth College | JD, University of North Carolina School of Law

Have you run for elected office before? Yes. Elected to Chapel Hill Town Council in 2017 and served from 2017 to 2021

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Chapel Hill Town Council | Local Government Retirement System Board of Trustees | State Advisory Board for Common Cause North Carolina | Executive Board of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP | assistant high school football coach and tutor

What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?

Public schools: Pay our school personnel a fair and competitive wage. Fulfill constitutional obligations and properly fund schools in need of repair.

Climate: Provide good public transit in all parts of North Carolina, especially rural areas. Support pedestrian and bicycle projects across North Carolina with state funding.

Health care: Expand Medicaid. Increase funding to county public health departments, so more family planning services and preventative care can be provided.

At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?

Pay school personnel and state employees fairer, higher wages. Properly fund public school infrastructure. Fund more child-care subsidy slots. Fund public transit in all parts of the state to better connect people with opportunities and jobs. Increase funding for the N.C. Housing Trust Fund to support more affordable housing.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

Yes.

What has the legislature gotten right, and what has it gotten wrong, about public education in North Carolina?

The bad: Teachers’ average salary ranks in the bottom half of the country. The legislature has not supported a school construction bond in over 20 years, and we have $13 billion in needed school repairs. We must fund more school nurses and counselors.

The good: In 2017, the legislature reestablished the NC Teaching Fellows program. It allows teachers’ student loans to be forgiven up to $8,200 per year of tuition corresponding to each year worked in a North Carolina public school.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

There should be fewer restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks.

Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.

North Carolina needs to codify the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. We also need to pass the Whole Women’s Health Act, which would eliminate arbitrary restrictions, such as the currently required 72-hour waiting period to get an abortion. These measures present undue burdens on women and endanger the health of women.

Should medical marijuana be legalized in North Carolina?

Yes.

What, if anything, should the legislature do to shape curriculum dealing with topics of race, sexuality and gender?

The legislature should be committed to supporting public schools and the mission of providing our students with an accurate accounting of our country’s history and the people in it. Students should be prepared to thrive in the 21st century and to interact with people of all backgrounds in a respectful manner. Part of my vision for North Carolina as an inclusive place means we are willing to learn about one another and appreciate each other.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.