Dee Watson, candidate for NC Senate District 16

Name: Dee Watson

Political party: Libertarian

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 49

Campaign website: https://electdeewatson.org/

Occupation: Unemployed

Education: B.A., B.S., University of Buffalo, mathematics and statistics

Have you run for elected office before? Yes, NC House 49

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I have been a Girl Scout leader, cookie mom, child care volunteer, room mom and school volunteer as well as volunteering in a secondhand thrift charity store. I have worked with churches, Libertarians and schools for food drives, clothing drives, Christmas Angels and much needed toiletry drives. I have also been a donor to all of these, but additionally, I have been a donor of UNICEF and the Red Cross for overseas activities since I am unable to help overseas due to family commitments.

What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?

School choice — fund students not systems.

Criminal justice reform — more transparency and accountability.

Health care — free markets, not corporate cronyism.

At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?

We need to fund students in North Carolina. School choice should be for everyone, not just the affluent. Districts that failed students need to be held accountable and closed as needed. Sales and gasoline taxes are regressive and should be reduced or eliminated. They harm the most at-risk populations disproportionately.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

No.

What has the legislature gotten right, and what has it gotten wrong, about public education in North Carolina?

The legislature removed the charter school cap and now provides some assistance for low-income families. The regulations in North Carolina for homeschooling are reasonable. These are all good things, but many families are still trapped in schools that are problematic. All families need access to accounts that are funded with the dollars that would be allocated for each of their children. Then they can determine which educational choices benefit their children instead of bureaucrats.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

There should be fewer restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks.

Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.

Every abortion is a tragic loss, and I would never advocate for any abortion that isn’t due to maternal health, but the regulatory framework for abortions between 20-24 weeks is impacting standard of care. I would like the timeframe moved to 24 weeks unregulated. The optimal time to perform many of the tests that check for fetal abnormalities is around 20 weeks. Many providers schedule tests earlier, not for medical reasons, but rather to avoid regulatory paperwork.

Should medical marijuana be legalized in North Carolina?

Yes.

What, if anything, should the legislature do to shape curriculum dealing with topics of race, sexuality and gender?

If students are funded instead of systems, then the legislature will not have to do anything about these issues. Families who are not happy with a school’s policy may simply find a school that better fits their needs. The legislature should have no influence on these things.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.