Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

My name is Marian McLawhorn and I have represented Pitt County in the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 9, for the past 12 years. My husband and I live in Grifton. We have four children and five grandchildren. I graduated from East Carolina University in 1967 with a B.S. in Business Administration. In 1988 I received a Master in Library Science degree, and in 1997 I received certification in Educational Leadership and Supervision. I have worked as an instructor and Head of the Library Media Technical Assistant Program at Lenoir Community College in Kinston, as a Media Coordinator at D.H. Conley High School in Pitt County, and as a Media Center Supervisor at New Bern High School.

Before being elected to the General Assembly in 1998, I served as the Mayor of Grifton. Previously I had been commissioner on the Town Board. I have served on numerous local boards and commissions -- for a complete list see more in-depth biographical information at www.marianmclawhorn.com.

My current legislative committees include Appropriations (Vice Chair); Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Chair); Education; Education Subcommittee on Community Colleges (Vice Chair); Health; Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs; Mental Health Reform; Pensions and Retirement; Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House; Wildlife Resources; Joint Legislative Committee on Domestic Violence (Chair); Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations; Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee; and the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Public School Funding Formulas. I also serve on the North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission.

While in the General Assembly, I also served as a Democratic Whip for four years.

The 2011 General Assembly will be focused on the economy.  It will be faced with moving the State forward with a shortage of revenues. Just as the past two years were challenging, the budget must again be balanced, and the AAA bond rating must be maintained. Careful, difficult financial decisions must be made, and state agencies and programs must be scrutinized, item by item, for reductions and/or elimination. All the time we must stay focused on a strong, well-trained work force and a friendly atmosphere for business.

A top priority will be to provide resources and sound policy for our education system. Our students need to stay in school, and they must be provided with excellent teachers and quality conditions for learning. While having access to the basics, they should also have early access to career and technical skills.  They should graduate high school knowing that they will be able to get a job, with the likelihood that they will need to take further coursework and training at a community college or university. In turn, community colleges and universities should be provided resources for enrollment growth and financial aid. Community colleges should also have access to resources for their small business centers and up-to-date equipment to train and retrain workers.

Legislators will also have to make decisions about many issues, including state employees and teachers, financial policy, public and mental health, transportation, poverty, agriculture, safety, the environment, sustainable and green communities, the military, and the well-being and quality of life of all North Carolinians. We will have to make sure that the decisions we make will have a positive impact on counties and local municipalities. These are difficult economic times, but North Carolina will continue to move forward.