Rep. Bobbie Richardson Summary Dr. Bobbie Jean Richardson has represented Franklin and Nash Counties in the North Carolina House since earning appointment in 2013. Richardson was born the sixth child of Bob and Patti Mae Richardson in Castalia, NC on Christmas Day, 1949, though she uses December 24, 1949 as her birthday on many official documents. An educator by trade, Richardson recently retired from Vance County as their Director of Exceptional Children, a special education-focused career. Unfortunately, Richardson has a track record in support of liberal policies that would wreck North Carolina’s economy, waste taxpayer dollars, and harm public schools. Consider these key positions: • Banned prayer from school exercises like graduation ceremonies (6/2012) • In the General Assembly, Richardson voted against budgets which lowered taxes and raised teacher pay and co-sponsored legislation: o To allow school boards to raise taxes (HB 955, 2013) o To raise taxes specifically (HB 1210, 2013; HB 549, 2015; HB 900, 2015) o To give driver’s license to DACA beneficiaries (HB 393, 2013) o To give special privileges to illegal immigrants (HR 627, 2013) o To eliminate employer’s right to ask for criminal record in job application (HB 605, 2015) o To fund local campaigns with taxpayer funds (HB 621, 2015) o To give in-state tuition to illegal immigrants (HB 689, 2015) o To eliminate the death penalty for 1st degree murderers (HB 686, 2015; HB 604, 2017) • Marched with AFL-CIO and Moral Monday in 8/2013 Forward Together and 11/2013 Take Back Our State protests • Communicated in radical social media posts, with fringe conspiracies and extreme language that sets a bad example for school-age children TABLE OF CONTENTS 1: BACKGROUND AND BIOGRAPHY ................................................................................... 7 Identifying Information .......................................................................................................... 7 Biography ............................................................................................................................... 7 Teaching Credential .............................................................................................................. 8 2: PUBLIC SERVICE BACKGROUND ...................................................................................... 8 County Democratic Politics .................................................................................................. 9 Franklin County School Board ............................................................................................ 10 State House Member ........................................................................................................... 12 Education Issues .............................................................................................................. 13 Minimum Wage ............................................................................................................... 15 Repealing Tax Cuts .......................................................................................................... 16 Infrastructure Concerns ................................................................................................... 16 Medicaid Expansion ........................................................................................................ 17 3: THE NEWS FILE. 2004-17 .................................................................................................. 18 2004 ..................................................................................................................................... 18 JUL 2004 Alternate Delegate to Democratic Convention ....................................... 18 2006 ..................................................................................................................................... 18 JAN 2006 Critical of US 401 Traffic ......................................................................... 18 2008 ..................................................................................................................................... 20 MAY 2008 Franklin County Democratic Party Chair ................................................ 20 JUN 2008 Earns Doctorate ........................................................................................ 21 JUL 2008 Democratic Convention Delegate ........................................................... 22 AUG 2008 Shocked and Disappointed by John Edwards Scandal ........................... 23 OCT 2008 Nephew Killed In Car Accident ............................................................... 24 OCT 2008 GOP Bows Out of Local Pact .................................................................. 25 2009 ..................................................................................................................................... 27 APR 2009 Elected to State Executive Committee ..................................................... 27 2010 ..................................................................................................................................... 27 APR 2010 Running Write-In Campaign For School Board Seat .............................. 27 MAY 2010 Democratic Woman Of The Year ............................................................ 28 MAY 2010 Board Must Pick Winner .......................................................................... 28 MAY 2010 Can Request Runoff Election.................................................................... 31 MAY 2010 Board Seat Still Not Decided ................................................................... 32 MAY 2010 Appointed to School Board ...................................................................... 34 DEC 2010 Appointed to Full Four Year Term ........................................................... 37 2012 ..................................................................................................................................... 39 JUN 2012 Board Bans Prayers at School Functions ................................................. 39 JUL 2012 Board Begins Drawing Policy on Religious Practices ............................. 41 JUL 2012 Board Agenda ........................................................................................... 43 JUL 2012 Appointed Louisburg College Trustee ..................................................... 44 DEC 2012 Appointed Director of Department for Exceptional Children ................ 45 2013 ..................................................................................................................................... 46 JAN 2013 Chosen to Fill House Vacancy................................................................. 46 APR 2013 Supports Taxing and Regulating Video Sweepstakes.............................. 46 APR 2013 Co-Sponsors Bill To Downgrade Marijuana Penalties............................ 48 APR 2013 Backs Off Support of Stun Gun Bill For Teachers ................................... 49 MAY 2013 Resigned Position as EC Director for Vance County Schools ................ 50 JUL 2013 Complains About Education Cuts in Budget ........................................... 50 AUG 2013 Attends “Forward Together” Protest March ............................................ 52 SEP 2013 Criticizes Reductions in Unemployment Funding .................................. 54 SEP 2013 Supports Lawsuit Against Voter ID Law .................................................. 55 NOV 2013 Speaks at “Take Back Our State” Rally.................................................... 56 2014 ..................................................................................................................................... 57 MAR 2014 No Opposition For Re-Election ............................................................... 57 APR 2014 Honored by Conservation Voters ............................................................ 58 MAY 2014 Commencement Speaker ......................................................................... 58 MAY 2014 Arranges Town Hall Meeting on Duke Energy ....................................... 59 OCT 2014 Blames Lack of Medicaid Expansion on Medical Center Cutbacks ....... 59 DEC 2014 Disappointed Over Lack of Funds for US 401 Improvement ................. 61 2015 ..................................................................................................................................... 63 JAN 2015 MLK Day Speech ...................................................................................... 63 APR 2015 Successful State Cat Bill ........................................................................... 64 APR 2015 Opposed Failed Bill To Ban School Board Lawsuits .............................. 65 MAY 2015 Gets Nine Vacant State Park Jobs Restored ............................................. 65 MAY 2015 Successful Amendment to Budget to Save Rocky Mount Call Center ... 66 SEP 2015 Votes Against Budget With Income Tax Cut ........................................... 67 2016 ..................................................................................................................................... 68 MAY 2016 Concerned About Lack of COLA for Retirees in Budget ........................ 68 MAY 2016 Co-Sponsors Bill to Have Lottery Profits Used to Repay Teacher Student Loans 69 JUN 2016 Opposes Charter School District ............................................................. 71 JUL 2016 Democratic Convention Delegate ..........................................................