For the past 16 years, Democrats in the state House of Representatives have been excluded from budget discussions and have struggled to get legislation off the ground.
State Rep. Ya Liu, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, knows all about that. But she’s about to find out what it’s like to be part of the majority. Democrats won control of the House in the November 3 election for the first time since 2010 and diminished Republicans’ control of the Senate, dramatically shifting the balance of power in state government.
Liu, a former Cary Town Council member whose state House district includes parts of Cary and Apex, was reelected to a third term with 71% of the vote. Her Democratic peers in Wake County also won big, flipping two Republican-held House seats and holding onto the other 13.
As House Democrats prepare to \elect their new leaders early next week and begin planning what they’ll do with their newfound power come January, The Line gave Liu a call to ask how the shakeup might affect Western Wake County.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
First off, could you explain your role as the House minority whip?
Basically, the minority whip will talk to everyone, see how they feel about policies, and count the votes on controversial or priority legislation so the minority leader, deputy leader, and the leadership team have a sense of where everybody stands. Whips are elected every cycle. We get reelected at an organizational meeting on November 16.
The whip role was crucial when we had 49 House Democrats, one more than was needed to sustain a veto signed by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. But each vote is not as important now that we have 71 Democrats plus one unaffiliated member.
Are you running for majority whip?
I haven’t made up my mind. I’m trying to decide if I want to work as a whip or focus on my job as a policymaker, like chair a committee and move some legislation forward.
Besides that organizational meeting, any idea what the legislature will do during the lame-duck session in the coming weeks?
Our Republican colleagues might try to pass anything they want to do while they still have the numbers to override the [governor’s] veto. I hope they won’t pursue that, because the voters have spoken and they voted us [the Democrats] into the majority. I hope they won’t pass anything controversial and divisive.
Wake County and North Carolina voters rejected Republican politics in the November 3 election. What kind of mandate did they give Democrats?
I mean, [North Carolina] voted for [President Donald Trump] two years ago. I’m not under any sort of illusion that suddenly they love Democrats. They voted for change, and they voted for affordability. And that’s the issue many of us campaigned on.
Voters desperately need relief on housing, groceries, gas, health care, and rising inflation. They need help, and so our priority is to deliver on those promises we made.
How will the new Democratic House majority’s approach to affordability differ from the Republicans’?
We believe that corporations need to pay their fair share. I talk to corporations and business owners, and many of them don’t feel that we should give them tax giveaways. It’s important to create a business-friendly environment, but they need to pay their fair share to fund the services in our state.
And as you probably know, our Republican colleagues removed the income threshold for private school vouchers. Voucher programs exist for a reason, and they serve some families, but there were even some Republicans against fully removing the income threshold. So let’s move dollars out of that program to fund other services.
What will the new balance of power mean for Wake County?
When [most of] the Wake County senators and representatives were in the minority, none of us were ever invited to a room to discuss the budget. Almost none of us could bring any dollars to our districts. It was really hard for any bill with a Democratic member as the first primary sponsor to get an opportunity to even be heard in committee.
As an example, our public schools are not fully funded by the state. If the state fully funded our public schools, we would be able to cut down the property tax at the county level.
So for the first time in 16 years, we will be in the room and will be at the table. We won’t be able to get everything we want, and Republicans won’t get everything they want. We’ll have to work with each other. It’s really an interesting time, and I can’t wait.
In terms of legislative priorities for Wake County, I’ve heard you mention public education, affordability, good governance …
And health care. There is a long wait list to receive care and to get access to specialists in Wake County. A lot of places are not even accepting new patients for primary care. And it’s very expensive: high deductibles, high premiums, high prescription drug prices.
What can the legislature do to change that?
We don’t have enough doctors. We don’t train enough doctors. During the nursing shortage, the legislature stepped in, we provided funding that extended the capacity to train more nurses, and that helped almost immediately. And then, there has always been momentum to repeal the Certificate of Need law [which makes it harder for health care providers to expand the services they offer]. That’s one area where we can increase competition and make health care more accessible.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment to set a property tax levy limit, but the legislature still needs to decide how to structure it. What’s going to happen with that?
We’re not surprised that it passed. It was sort of a political move: the intent was to drive Republican voters to the polls.
It sounds good, but it restricts local flexibility. It could reduce the quality of public services. So we will do everything we can to give as much control as possible at the local level.
What are you hearing from local elected officials in Cary and Apex about their priorities for the next legislative session and budget?
I’m talking with them and checking with them on what their needs are. In Apex, they need to provide water and sewer for the new Children’s Hospital. It’s gonna be expensive. So I will continue to advocate for funding and support from the state for that project.
And housing—bringing down housing costs is going to be a huge priority for us. Exploring opportunities to develop more housing and make sure people can age in place. There’s a lot we can do in that space.
