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Bill Faison is a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and a member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 50th House district since 2005. His district includes constituents in Caswell County and Orange County.

Early Life, Career

Faison was born in Raleigh, grew up in Knightdale, was educated in Chapel Hill (AB 1969, JD 1972), and lives in Cedar Grove in Northern Orange County. He is a single father, a teacher, a farmer, a businessman, and a lawyer. He practices law with Faison & Gillespie in Durham, North Carolina, representing people who have been injured by medical negligence and corporate negligence. He has won for his clients numerous jury verdicts of more than a million dollars. Faison is a committed single father who enjoys a variety of activities with his children, including kayaking, flying airplanes, riding motorcycles, wakeboarding, snow skiing, horseback riding, painting, NASCAR, building design and land development.

Legislative Career

Currently representing Caswell County and most of Orange County in the NC House, Faison has served as: Chairman of the House Democrats’ Business Caucus, Chairman of the House Study Committee on Rural Highspeed Internet Access, Chairman of the Ways and Means/Broadband Connectivity Committee, Vice Chairman of Judiciary III Committee Vice Chairman of the Public Utilities Committee, Vice Chairman of the Agriculture and Energy Committee, Member of the Finance Committee, Member of the House Study Committee on 911 Funding Formula, Member of the House Study Committee on Coyote Nuisance Abatement, Member of the Insurance Committee, Member of the Joint Select Committee on Economic Recovery and Member of the National Conference of State Legislators. Faison is a staunch supporter and advocate for jobs, education and health care in the North Carolina General Assembly. With three children in college and on in high school, he understands how important it is to set good policy for the future.

In a weekly column called Bill's Seat in The Caswell Messenger and The News of Orange, Faison updates his constituents about current legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly.

In the most recent legislative session, he spoke out on telecommunications legislation in the NC House. Faison said, in an interview with North Carolina Public Radio, that the bill should be called “the Time Warner cable anti-competitive bill.”

“It’s a New York company bill, it’s not even folks from around here’s bill, to keep our municipalities from providing services to their citizens,” Rep. Faison said.

Faison also spoke out on the E-Verify bill, saying that the bill was so broadly written that if a city wanted to contract with a realtor to help sell a property, or had its accounts handled by a local bank, those entire companies would have to implement E-Verify for all future hires.

“Folks, I didn’t come down here to impose greater regulation on business in this state,” Faison told the Committee.

Faison explained that the bill was too broad and focused on illegal immigration.

"It’s not focused on the common sense of how we go about getting services rendered within a community. There’s such a target lock on who we’re out trying to get that the collateral damage has been ignored,” said Faison.

A list of bills Faison introduced and supported in the NC House are available at the NC General Assembly website.

On September 8, 2011, Representative Faison held a press conference to challenge the NC Republican Party leadership in the NC General Assembly to tackle the issues of high unemployment. Faison issued a three-step challenge calling on the leadership to address the issue of JOBS in the upcoming Special Session. Faison explained the challenge in an opinion editorial. The challenge came just hours before the President of the United States Barack Obama spoke on national television about a jobs plan for the Country.

On September 13, 2011, Faison was joined by the following Members of the NC House: Alma Adams, Kelly Alexander, Larry Bell, Alice Bordsen, Marcus Brandon, William Brisson, Angela Bryant, Becky Carney, Beverly Earle, Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Elmer Floyd, Rosa Gill, Charles Graham, Phillip Haire, Larry Hall, Susi Hamilton, Pricey Harrison, Dewey Hill, Maggie Jeffus, Patsy Keever, Marvin Lucas, Frank McGuirt, Marian McLawhorn, Henry Michaux Jr., Annie Mobley, Rodney Moore, Earline Parmon, Garland Pierce, Ray Rapp, Joe Tolson, William Wainwright, Edith Warren, Larry Womble, W. A. (Winkie) Wilkins, Michael H. Wray at the House Democrats' Business Caucus, chaired by Faison. At the caucus, the Members heard first hand about job loss. Following the caucus, a press conference was held to discuss the Faison Jobs Plan.

On September 14, 2011, President Obama came to Raleigh to talk about his Jobs Plan. Faison's post-event interview has been carried statewide.

Gubernatorial Prospects

Faison was identified as a potential candidate for Governor in 2008. However, with the emergence of both State Treasurer Richard Moore and Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue as candidates, Faison declined to run. Lt. Governor Perdue eventually won the primary.

In 2011 Bill Faison readily admitted he was "covering a little bit of ground lately" for a lonely state lawmaker who represents a mostly rural district.

The Efland Democrat has appeared recently at Occupy Raleigh, a major Lillian's List fundraiser and a Democratic fundraiser in Mecklenburg County. And Faison's name appears prominently as a top sponsor of the N.C. Democratic Party's big Western Gala on Oct. 22 in Asheville -- the only elected official on the list. Faison dodged numerous other questions about his political plans or motivations. But Democratic operatives suggest he is trying to make himself the heir to the gubernatorial throne should Perdue not run, which is remote but not impossible given the specter of possible indictments against former top aides related to campaign finance violations from her 2008 run.

References

1. CharlotteNews14.com
2. WRAL.com

External links

• Faison for House Website- Representative Bill Faison - District 50
• North Carolina General Assembly - Representative Bill Faison official NC House website
• Project Vote Smart - Representative Bill Faison (NC) profile
• Follow the Money - Bill Faison
  • 2008 2006 2004 campaign contributions
• Bill Faison Faison & Gillespie, attorney profile

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