Chuck McGrady
  • Welcome
  • About Chuck McGrady
  • General Assembly
    • NCGA Website
    • How Laws Are Made
    • Legislative Building
    • Our State Seal
    • State Constitution
    • Glossary of Terms
  • Maps
    • District 117 Map
    • House Districts Map
  • Links
    • State Agencies
    • State Website
    • Court System
    • Henderson County Links
      • County Government
      • City of Hendersonville
      • Henderson County Schools
      • Chamber of Commerce
      • County Board of Elections
      • Blue Ridge Humane Society
  • Contribute
1 Representative Chuck McGrady
16
2
5
4
3
11
6
Rotunda dome in the Old Capitol Building
12b

McGrady

Beginning the Budget

Posted on May 13, 2016 by admin in Budget, McGrady, Newsletters

Two weeks ago, Governor McCrory announced his budget priorities.  No real surprises — he wants more compensation for teachers, targeted raises for other state employees, and recommends substantially more money for mental health among other things. The details of his budget were sent over to the legislature the following week. Last week, with little fanfare, the […]

Read More

McGrady Will Seek to Reconstitute the Coal Ash Management Commission

Posted on May 7, 2016 by admin in Coal Ash, Courts, Environment, McGrady

Representative McGrady announced his intention to sponsor legislation that will re-create the Coal Ash Management Commission following a NC Supreme Court decision that declared the former commission unconstitutional because of how the commission was appointed. The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has responsibility for making recommendations to the Commission as to how coal ash […]

Read More

Missed Votes and Excused Absences

Posted on April 21, 2016 by admin in McGrady, Newsletters

During any legislative session, it is common for a legislator to miss a few votes, although most legislators (with the exception of the Speaker who doesn’t normally vote) vote well in excess of 90% of the time. Only one House member, Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Wake), voted 100% of the time during the last Long Session […]

Read More

McGrady Ranks Among Most Effective

Posted on April 21, 2016 by admin in McGrady

Today the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research released its 2016 rankings on the effectiveness of each member of the North Carolina General Assembly. Representative McGrady ranked 7th of the entire 120-member body, moving up 19 spots from the 2013 long session, the last time the organization issued its biennial ranking. From the NCCPPR: The effectiveness rankings […]

Read More

Chuck McGrady: A path less traveled

Posted on April 7, 2016 by admin in Beer, Coal Ash, Environment, Insurance, Local Government, McGrady, Recreation, Regulatory Reform, Speaker Tillis

by Scott Mooneyham, Director of Public Affairs for the North Carolina League of Municipalities Rep. Chuck McGrady knows that he is an oddity. In fact, he takes it a step further. “I tell people, I have known what an endangered species was for a long time. I never thought I would be one,” the Hendersonville […]

Read More

So What Did I Do Wrong?

Posted on February 23, 2016 by admin in Elections, McGrady, Newsletters, Politics

When I first heard that a three-judge panel of federal judges had declared two of the congressional districts unconstitutional because the legislature had relied on race in drawing those districts, I expected we’d be called back for a Special Session to redraw those districts. Since I didn’t serve on the committee dealing with elections, I […]

Read More

What is a Caucus and Why Is It Important?

Posted on February 5, 2016 by admin in Civics, History, McGrady, Newsletters, Politics

Webster’s Dictionary defines a “caucus” as “a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction.” While the definition is accurate, it doesn’t give one a real sense of how important a caucus is within the legislature. Under North Carolina law and the General Assembly’s rules, a caucus provides […]

Read More

Rep. Chuck McGrady Honored as a Champion of North Carolina Tourism

Posted on December 17, 2015 by admin in Celebration, Economy, McGrady

From Derek Lacey at the Hendersonville Times-News: Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) and Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson) are the first state legislators to be awarded the inaugural Tourism Champion Awards from the N.C. Travel and Tourism Coalition, the organization announced Wednesday. The two Western North Carolina legislators are the first-ever winners of the Champion Awards, which […]

Read More

Craft Brewers Honor Chuck McGrady

Posted on December 4, 2015 by admin in Beer, Business, Economic Development, Hard Cider, Jobs, McGrady, Regulatory Reform

From the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild: Representative Chuck McGrady Wins First Annual Legislative Leadership Award Craft beer has a powerful ally in the North Carolina legislature, and his name is Chuck McGrady. On December 2 at its annual conference, the NC Craft Brewers Guild awarded Representative McGrady its first annual legislative leadership award. In […]

Read More

Road Project Timelines Speed Up in Henderson County

Posted on November 19, 2015 by admin in Budget, McGrady, Transportation

Representative Chuck McGrady announced this afternoon that as a result of the budget the legislature passed in September, several Department of Transportation projects will be accelerated and new projects added in Henderson County. These are just several of the projects across the state that that will be accelerated as a result of reforms in the […]

Read More

McGrady Responds to Duke Energy’s Announcement on Transmission Lines and the Asheville Power Plant

Posted on November 4, 2015 by admin in Asheville, Duke Power Plant Conversion, McGrady

Hendersonville, NC – Today Representative Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson) issued the following statement in response to Duke Energy’s announcement regarding proposed transmission lines in Henderson County and its plans for replacement of the Asheville coal-fired power plant: “I’m gratified that Duke Energy has responded to the overwhelming sentiment expressed in the over 9,000 comments it received […]

Read More

A Final, Difficult Week

Posted on October 8, 2015 by admin in Agriculture, Children, Education, Energy, Environment, Healthcare, Hunting & Fishing, Insurance, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Regulatory Reform, UNC

The North Carolina House of Representatives took its last vote of the Long Session at 4:12 am on September 30.  The vote came on a technical corrections bill, Senate Bill 119 [GSC Technical Corrections 2015].  37 members weren’t around to vote and the bill passed because the remaining Members were assured that the bill just […]

Read More

Statement on Water Ruling

Posted on October 6, 2015 by admin in Asheville, Courts, McGrady, Utilities, Water

Today, Senator Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) and Representative Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson) released the following joint statement in response to the decision of the North Carolina Court of Appeals relating to the public water system operated by the City of Asheville: “We are gratified by the unanimous decision of the North Carolina Court of Appeals upholding the […]

Read More

Late Session Machinations

Posted on September 24, 2015 by admin in Agriculture, Elections, McGrady, Newsletters, Politics, Regulatory Reform

With three days left in the session, just about everybody is grumpy. Legislators expected to be home months ago, and can’t wait for the session to be over. Lobbyists expected legislators would be gone, and they’d have an easier routine dealing with some interim committees that might meet. Staff haven’t had a rest, and some […]

Read More

The End Is In Sight

Posted on September 22, 2015 by admin in Agriculture, Animal Welfare, Budget, Education, Environment, Federal Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Law Enforcement, McGrady, Newsletters, Parental Choice, Private Property Rights, Regulatory Reform, Taxes, UNC

High Profile, Will Pass Bills House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger announced late last week that the legislature would adjourn on September 30, bringing an end to one of the longer legislative sessions. Before the session ends, there appears to be consensus on the “must pass” bills, including bills reforming […]

Read More

What A Week It Was

Posted on September 17, 2015 by admin in Agriculture, Budget, Environment, Healthcare, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Regulatory Reform, Transportation

A week ago, the legislature was working on its budget. There was light at the end of the tunnel on the budget, but not a clear path forward on a myriad of other issues. This week, the budget has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support, and in votes late today and early Friday the […]

Read More

On the Road Again

Posted on September 11, 2015 by admin in Budget, Duke Power Plant Conversion, Education, Environment, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Transportation

Last week was a week of travel. That isn’t usually what legislators do during session, but budget negotiations in Raleigh and a public meeting on Duke Energy’s proposed electric transmission lines in Hendersonville caused me to travel back and forth — twice. After heading back to Raleigh on Sunday, I drove back to Hendersonville on […]

Read More

3 Steps Forward & 2 Steps Back

Posted on September 1, 2015 by admin in Budget, Duke Power Plant Conversion, McGrady, Newsletters

Budget Negotiations Last Thursday night, it seemed like we were finally making headway with the budget. The spending targets had been set for the various subject-matter appropriations committees, and each of them was meeting to negotiate their budgets. For example, the House’s Education appropriators were meeting with their Senate counterparts, and the same was true […]

Read More

Rep. McGrady Honored with NCACC’s 2015 “Friend of the Counties” Award

Posted on August 26, 2015 by admin in Local Government, McGrady, Tribute

From BlueRidgeNow: McGrady receives 2015 Friend of the Counties Award Former Henderson County Commissioner Chuck McGrady, in his third term in the North Carolina House of Representatives, was named winner of the 2015 Friend of the Counties Award by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners during its 108th Annual Conference in Pitt County. First-term […]

Read More

Legislative Limbo

Posted on August 24, 2015 by admin in Budget, Environment, Insurance, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Regulatory Reform, Unemployment Reform

If last week was Legislative Purgatory, then the beginning of this week can be described again in a Roman Catholic term, Limbo. Limbo, whether for the souls of unbaptized babies or the patriarchs of the Old Testament, is a temporary state, and this is where things currently stand with the budget. The budget negotiations are […]

Read More

Legislative Purgatory

Posted on August 21, 2015 by admin in Beer, Budget, Duke Power Plant Conversion, Hard Cider, McGrady, Newsletters, Purgatory

The State Budget In Roman Catholic doctrine, Purgatory is a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. If I didn’t understand that concept before this week, I now understand the concept. I’m caught in Raleigh occupying windowless rooms communicating and negotiating about […]

Read More

Dual Priorities: The Budget & Transmission Lines

Posted on August 18, 2015 by admin in Budget, Duke Power Plant Conversion, McGrady, Newsletters

The chasm between Raleigh’s and Henderson County’s public policy priorities was clear last week. In Raleigh, the priority was and remains the budget. My colleagues, the media, and lobbyists are all focused on that, and that issue has crowded out the discussion of lots of other issues, including Medicaid reform. While other issues will again […]

Read More

When Will You Pass a Budget?

Posted on August 6, 2015 by admin in Budget, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Taxes, Transportation

Loosening the Gordian Knot If I had dollar for every time I was asked about when we would pass a budget, I’d make some good money. Colleagues, the media, and my constituents ask about it daily. The opening of schools make the lack of a budget even more uncomfortable and, with the passage of time, […]

Read More

Being Read by the Wrong People

Posted on August 3, 2015 by admin in Healthcare, McGrady, Newsletters

I don’t know what it was about a recent newsletter (or post on my website), entitled “So Much To Do and Too Little Time,” but lots of people stopped me both in Hendersonville and Raleigh about it. One patron at the Underground Baking Company asked me if I was “Chuck McGrady.” When I told him […]

Read More

Understanding the Process for Locating Electric Transmission Lines in Henderson County

Posted on July 30, 2015 by admin in Duke Power Plant Conversion, Energy, Environment, McGrady, Newsletters

Duke Energy’s effort to inform the public about possible routes for a high-voltage power line didn’t satisfy most residents who attended the public information session at Blue Ridge Community College last Thursday. It was the third of three sessions that Duke Energy sponsored on the proposed new transmission line running from upstate South Carolina through […]

Read More

So Much to Do and Too Little Time

Posted on July 28, 2015 by admin in Duke Power Plant Conversion, Energy, Environment, General Assembly, Healthcare, McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters, Regulatory Reform

The best part of serving in the legislature is having the ability to positively affect the outcomes on a broad range of policy issues. The worst part, aside from dealing with sometimes petty politics, is that one rarely gets to catch one’s breath — at least if one is fully engaged. Returning to Raleigh on Sunday […]

Read More

So That Was A Vacation?

Posted on July 16, 2015 by admin in McGrady, Medicaid, Newsletters

Two weeks ago, the House voted 68 to 33 to adjourn to a date certain — that date being ten days later. It has been a long time since the General Assembly had taken a break from its work in Raleigh, but everyone knew, even if they didn’t admit it, that the legislators and staff […]

Read More

The Times-News Interview

Posted on July 12, 2015 by admin in Beer, Children, Coal Ash, Environment, Hunting & Fishing, Jobs, McGrady, Recreation, Water

From Derek Lacey at The Hendersonville Times-News: McGrady balances politics, environmental stance Rep. Chuck McGrady is something of an oddity in the North Carolina legislature, a Republican with a progressive environmental philosophy. “I’ve always been an anomaly; I’m a conservative, I’m a Republican environmental leader,” McGrady, 62, said. “There’s not a lot of those out […]

Read More

Rep. McGrady on the Budget

Posted on July 11, 2015 by admin in Budget, McGrady, News

From Bill Moss in today’s Hendersonville Lightning… McGrady sees long slog to budget deal It’s not August, but Chuck McGrady is feeling the dog days of the North Carolina Legislature. The pace of the General Assembly — which went home for a week after adopting a measure that keeps the state running for a month […]

Read More

Avoiding Health Care

Posted on July 2, 2015 by admin in Budget, General Assembly, Healthcare, McGrady, Newsletters

Constituents never cease to amaze. Last weekend, a constituent thanked me for the newsletter, but asked why it seemed that I never addressed health care issues, including Medicaid. Of course, he was right. I’d just hoped that no one was noticing. Well, what follows is my take on the debate over how to provide health […]

Read More
‹12345›»

Contact

EmailFacebookTwitter

Search

Latest Newsletter

  • Great Seal of the State of North Carolina

    The Budget & Redistricting Among Other Things

    October 23, 2019

More About Newsletters

To receive Rep. McGrady's newsletters, please send an email to his Legislative Assistant and we'll add you to our newsletter distribution list.

For a complete archive of all of Rep. McGrady's newsletters, click here.

The Economy Then and Now

Articles by Category

Recent Articles

  • The Budget & Redistricting Among Other Things
  • The House Veto Override
  • Budget Impasse Continues
  • From the Times-News
  • Budget Prospects After the Veto
  • More Than One Way to Pass a Law
  • 2019 Budget Passes First Vote in NC House
  • A statement from Rep. Chuck McGrady
  • Tax collections could lead to $700 million windfall
  • House Budget Meets the Crossover Deadline
  • McGrady Seeks to Modernize ABC System
  • Why Alcohol?
  • McGrady’s Bills
  • A Slow Start to the Long Session
  • The Start of the Legislative Session
  • House Enacts Voter ID With Veto Override
  • The End Is In Sight
  • The Endless Legislative Session
  • $793 Million for Florence Recovery
  • My Perspective on the Proposed Constitutional Amendments
  • Disaster Relief: What Comes Next
  • Hurricane Recovery Fund Approved in Bipartisan Vote
  • Legislature to Convene October 2 for Hurricane Relief
  • The WLOS Election Questionnaire
  • Constitutional Amendment Redux
  • State Revenues Exceed Forecast by Over $400 million
  • Hurricane Relief Committee to Investigate Recovery Delays
  • Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
  • Revenue estimates $252.8 million ahead of targets
  • The Short Session Winds Down
  • Flag Day 2018
  • Remembering the Day that Saved the World
  • Houses Passes School Safety Programs
  • The Budget Passes and…Life After the Budget
  • The Budget: More Detail on What It Funds

Featured Video

Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara
This site is provided as a service to the people of Henderson County. It is not maintained at taxpayer expense.