SOUTHERN CITY QUARTER 1 2022 18 Deep Ties: Senator Natalie Murdock Has Lived Public Service of different topics. A little bit of everything is in my background, so that’s been helpful to come here. So, full circle, being on the Transportation Committee, as well as (the) Agriculture, Energy, and Environment (Committee). I have deep, deep backgrounds in those topics and now I get to serve on those committees. Also, to go all the way back, I worked in early childhood education… A lot, a lot of different things in my background. That’s a lot there that overlaps with local government. How does that help, in terms of understanding that context and using it as a legislator? NM: It is huge. And first with the relationships. I’ve worked a lot this year on the CROWN Act so that folks are not discriminated against because of their natural hair. And being fully aware of the composition of our General Assembly, I knew it would be difficult to get that legislation passed, but knew that we could do a lot through local ordinances and working through the governor’s office. So back to those local relationships, I was able to call (a number of local government leaders) and be able to talk to our local leaders. So, being that I worked in transportation before coming here, I worked for Durham specifically, our board of commissioners, our city council, I’ve worked with a lot of the Chapel Hill council members, as well as knowing how Orange County moves, as well as Wake County. At Wake County, at Go Triangle, at the end of my time there we were working on their transit plan, so I was able to work with their county commissioners. So, really having those relationships. Working with a lot of different local officials has been really, really helpful, because as state legislative members, that’s where the rubber meets the road. We have to know how our statutes and laws work; how will they have an impact on local government? And so having that awareness. I also try to be proactive, to talk with them first. “How will this impact you? If it it’s an issue, let me know and I will bring it up to my colleagues in those committee meetings.” What kinds of issues do local officials tend to bring to you? NM: As you know, preemption has really been a popular one. If a local government, i.e. Durham, wants to have more strict regulations around development and its impact on stormwater, I personally believe that is a right to do that. If we want to have an ordinance around tree planting, we should have the right to do that. And believe it or not, the tree planting issue, not only from local elected officials but also from everyday citizens and constituents, that is one of the top issues I receive letters and emails about. Working with local government, the context is nonpartisan. One thing I’ve noticed is, outside of floor debates, there’s a lot of camaraderie between legislators no matter their party. How does that come into play in terms of legislative success? NM: Of all the talks I have with organizations and community members, they’re always shocked to hear that. Especially in the Senate. We keep a certain level of decorum and professionalism on the floor … I’ve met colleagues for lunch and had coffee outside of the chamber. I have no issue saying I’ve enjoyed working with (Republican) Senator Kathy Harrington out of Gaston County. Working with her and (fellow Republican) Senator Deanna Ballard, one of the budget items I was able to get across the finish line was about how one in five young people that menstruate do not have access to menstrual products, and so doing a lot of research on the topic and found out that in Georgia, which is red—they can say that it’s blue but those state houses are red, they are in a superminority, Democrats in both chambers—they were able to get a million dollars in funding. And I said, “How in the world did they do that down there?” So, I did some research on that and shared with my colleagues this session … Since Senator Ballard was Education (Committee) chair, my strategy was to figure out a way to get those funds to DPI. Talked with DPI, they thought it was a phenomenal idea. Senator Harrington fought for it to the continued from page 16
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