Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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She announced her candidacy for Davidson County’s seat in the N.C. House — currently occupied by fellow Lexington resident Hugh Holliman — in early January, at a Davidson County Republican Party gathering at Trish’s Caterers in Lexington. Brown, 56, was prompted to run for N.C. House for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons, most notably, comes from her claim that current representatives don’t have the right priorities.
“I think I have gotten so dismayed on how the state is being run and their priorities,” Brown said Saturday in a phone interview. “It doesn’t seem that their priorities have much to do with mine. None of their priorities that they have accomplished this year seem to be to be the important ones.”
Some of the wrong priorities, she says, are a concentration on focusing on the way the state distributes its Electoral College votes, the N.C. Education Lottery, a lack of concentration on traditional marriage and illegal immigration. She also believes that representatives have not been concerned about a good job environment in the state.
In raising all her viewpoints, Brown emphasized she wasn’t attacking Holliman. She did, however, take a strong position that is completely opposite of Holliman’s view on smoking in public places. The majority leader introduced a bill that would have banned smoking in almost all public buildings, but it didn’t pass.
“You are infringing on the rights of business owners to set policies for their own business,” Brown said. “I think [Holliman’s] intent is admirable. I think smoking shouldn’t be in restaurants. I think where we differ is what the role of government is.
“I don’t think that is the role the government shouldn’t play a part in. It’s up to the private-business owner. He will make decisions based on what is best for him.”
In response to Brown’s opinion on smoking in public places, Holliman said, “I believe it is a health issue. I am a business owner. So, I think I have a pretty good perspective on that. It is my position that if a business owner invites the public into his business, then he has the responsibility to provide a healthy environment.”
On illegal immigration, Brown believes the state has lost focus on it. While admitting it was a federal issue, Brown said there needs to be tighter restrictions on letting immigrants enter the country. She does think that the state should let them do jobs, such as agricultural, then let them leave.
“Our state legislature has really seemed to be unconcerned about this,” she said. “You sympathize with people that come because they want to feed their families, but my first concern will be the citizens of this state and the citizens of my district. That is who I feel sorry for right now.”
Holliman, again, defended the state’s record on illegal immigration, saying the state has taken measures to prevent it. He said the state has tightened down the issuing of driver’s licenses and allocated $750,000 for the N.C. Sheriff’s Association to coordinate with the federal government on ways to deport illegal immigrants who are committing crimes.
“I don’t see a big thrust [towards preventing illegal immigration from the state],” Brown said in rebuttal to Holliman’s statement on the state’s record. “Seven hundred, fifty thousand dollars is a drop in the bucket.”
When hearing that Brown said the state hasn’t done much on the illegal immigrant situation, Holliman reacted by stating, “She should check with her own party. They have had eight years to do something on the federal level and done nothing. We have addressed issues that we can.”
Brown agreed her party has been slow on reducing illegal immigration.
Two years ago, Brown entered the booth to cast her vote for N.C. House. She wasn’t happy that there was only one choice for District 81, which is another reason she has decided throw her hat in the ring. Holliman, who is the House majority leader, ran unopposed in 2006.
“I went to the voting booth in 2006 and I had two choices,” she said. “I could vote for the only person [Holliman] listed on the ballot for this particular race or I could leave that race unmarked. I wanted people to have a choice.”
She is married to Clark Brown of Lexington. Rayne Brown has an undergraduate degree in social work from East Carolina University and a graduate degree from UNC Greensboro in education. She has practiced social work in Davidson County for 30 years.
“I work primarily with the elderly and disabled right now,” she said. “I have worked with at-risk pregnant women. I have worked with about every population you can think of in this county. I have been in somebody’s living room once or twice a week. They tell me their stories. I listen and I do what I can to help. I know the needs of individuals.”
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com