Sydney Batch, candidate for NC Senate District 17

Name: Sydney Batch

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 43

Campaign website: sydneybatch.com

Occupation: Attorney

Education: UNC-CH, Bachelor of Arts in English; UNC-CH Juris Doctor; UNC- CH Master of Social Work

Have you run for elected office before? Yes. NC House of Representatives, HD 37

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: NC Council on Developmental Disabilities member; Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights Council with the NC Bar Association member; Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women board member; North Carolina Leadership Forum (2021-2022); Member of the NC State Bar Child Welfare Law Specialty Committee; Member of the National Association for the Counsel of Children; NC State Bar Ethics Committee member; Pro Bono Attorney for The Child’s Advocate, a project of Legal Aid of North Carolina

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

1. Lowering costs for families: I voted to lower the income tax rates. I co-sponsored legislation to reinstate the earned income tax and child care tax credit.

2. Protecting women’s reproductive rights: I co-sponsored a bill to codify Roe and Casey. I will continue to sustain the Governor’s veto on bills that severely restrict abortion access and reproductive rights.

3. Keeping our communities safe: I sponsored six bills and voted to increase law enforcement funding and training initiatives.

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

Our state surplus should be used to increase teacher and non-certified pay, as well as increasing state employees’ salaries. We also need to invest in capital improvements in our aging schools across North Carolina. Additionally, we need to fully fund the Leandro plan so that every child in North Carolina receives a sound basic education.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

Yes.

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

The legislature has done a good job over the last two years of investing money into our under-resourced community college and university system, though more must be done. We also invested in evidence-based professional development programs, like LETRS to improve the reading outcomes of students. However, we have failed to fully fund the Leandro plan, despite having the money to do so. We need to increase the number of social workers, psychologists and nurses in our schools and raise teacher pay.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

The current state law banning abortion after 20 weeks should remain.

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

I believe that the current status quo in North Carolina regarding abortion should remain the same. I believe Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood should be codified at the state level. I am a co-sponsor of legislation to do just that. I agree with the holdings of those cases and believe that a state can add reasonable restrictions to abortions after viability. Prior to that, I believe women should have access to abortion without restrictions.

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?

I believe that the legislature should continue to set standards as to what should be taught in our public schools and local school boards and communities should decide how the curriculum is taught.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.