Ron Osborne, candidate for NC House District 64

Name: Ron Osborne

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 61

Campaign website: www.ronfor64.org

Occupation: Retired

Education: BS Mechanical Engineering, NCSU

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: 1991 fellow NC Institute of Political Leadership; past president of Alamance Coalition Against Drug Abuse; past member of NC Friends Disaster Service; current board member of Quaker House of Fayetteville.

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

Healthcare (protecting reproductive rights, expanding Medicaid, requiring price transparency to lower costs and addressing gun violence with mental health support and common-sense laws); protecting voting rights, voting access and addressing partisan gerrymandering; a thriving economy (fully funding public education, expanding rural broadband, promoting clean and renewable energy, smart growth, preservation of our state’s climate and natural resources/beauty).

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

First, honor the Leandro court decision to properly and constitutionally fund public education. Develop a long range strategy to consistently provide appropriate pay raises for public servants.

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 legislature has failed to adequately fund public education, including sufficient compensation for teachers and staff. The legislature has also hamstrung local control with such legislation as the “Free the Smiles” bill.

*Editors note: The Free the Smiles Act, or Senate Bill 173, would have allowed school districts to set their own policies regarding the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools. It was vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper in February.

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.

It is a decision between a woman, her doctor and her conscience.

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 treat teachers as trusted professionals and not political pawns to be micromanaged. We need to permit an intellectually honest examination of our local, state and national history. This includes a celebration of our achievements as well as an acknowledgment of our mistakes.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.