All of Rowan County’s state legislators have now confirmed their interest in re-election.

State Sen. Tom McInnis, R-25, and State Reps. Carl Ford, R-76, and Harry Warren, R-77, previous confirmed their intentions to seek re-election. State Sen. Andrew Brock, R-34, on Monday said he will seek another term in the General Assembly.

Filing begins Dec. 1 for the 2016 legislative elections.

 

Brock, of Davie County, is in the midst of his seventh term in the state senate. His district starts near Iredell County’s border with Wilkes and Alexander counties, covers Davie County and stretches to cover Landis, Faith and Granite Quarry in Rowan.

Brock said he is running, in part, to continue various reforms and provide institutional knowledge in the General Assembly.

If re-elected, Brock said he’s interested in continuing work related to tax and regulatory reform. Both efforts would enable small businesses and larger companies to expand in North Carolina, he said.

“Because of tax reform and tax cuts, we have been able to put money back into the pockets of the citizens and business of North Carolina,” Brock said.

He said it’s important for state legislators to continue making the tax system based on consumption instead of income.

Tax reform and regulatory reform were also items Brock mentioned as accomplishments during his time in the state senate. Brock also cited a transparency provision included in the state budget that requires state officials to create a website to provide expenditures for each governmental agency.

“It’s important people know the government is spending their money wisely and we’re not wasting taxpayer dollars,” Brock said about the provision.

In the 2015 session, Brock was the primary sponsor of bills that would: aim to increase energy efficiency in the state by removing renewable energy requirements for power companies; reduce the state’s income tax from 10 percent to 5 percent; allow wage garnishment for judgements in civil court; and clarify that municipalities can provide local incentives for historic rehabilitation.

He was also the sponsor of a number of regulatory reform bills, including one that significantly changed the state’s building code. Brock was also the lead sponsor of the 2015 N.C. Farm Act, which made a number of changes to agriculture- and wildlife-related laws.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246