Editorial Board
Brian Echevarria is running his first reelection bid to continue to represent North Carolina’s House District 82 covering Cabarrus County.
His campaign paints an image of a representative who wants to strengthen the economy and increase public safety, but a look at his votes and sponsored bills during his first year in office shows an active effort to raise prices for North Carolina families and make our state less safe.
Affordability is at the forefront of voters’ minds this election. Inflation has risen, and North Carolina families are feeling the pressure financially from the grocery store to the gas pump. Residents are also facing a possible increase in utility bills as Duke Energy is requesting a rate hike.
As prices were soaring, Echevarria joined his Republican peers in passing Senate Bill 266, a bill that is estimated to shift $87 million in annual payments from the state’s commercial and industrial customers to residential customers. The bill would also allow companies like Duke Energy to charge ratepayers for the construction of power plants, even if the projects are never completed. In addition to allowing utility companies to charge North Carolinians more, the bill excuses Duke Energy from its previously legally binding carbon emissions goal.
Many lawmakers receive funds from large companies like Duke Energy to pass legislation that favors the company. Campaign finance records show Echevarria has received campaign funds from a Duke employee.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) wrote about Senate Bill 266 and the cost for North Carolinians.
The SELC has also raised alarms around House Bill 402, claiming both bills jeopardize “North Carolinians’ health and wallets in favor of polluters.”
House Bill 402, sponsored by Echevarria, “effectively halts environmental rulemaking—such as limits on toxic PFAS and cancer-causing 1,4-dioxane pollution of North Carolina’s drinking water sources,” according to SELC.
In addition to supporting and sponsoring bills that allow utility companies to charge families more and pollute the state, he put forward House Bill 5, a bill that would allow individuals to carry a concealed gun without a permit. Studies show that most North Carolinians are opposed to laws that allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit.
Though the bill stalled in the House, the Senate version of the bill passed in both chambers despite public opposition. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein vetoed the bill for the danger it could bring to children, families, and law enforcement officers.
No additional action has been taken since, but Republicans have signaled they want to override the veto.
Echevarria has spent his first term in office supporting bills that make North Carolina less safe and more expensive. Despite claiming to care about public feedback, Echevarria supported bills that received widespread complaints from the public.
In this year’s election, Cabarrus County has a better option. For the House District 82 seat, Echevarria is running against Democratic candidate Chris Bishopp. Bishopp is a U.S. Veteran who wants to prioritize education, health care, and affordability.
Bishopp is committed to investing in teachers and public schools, strengthening local hospitals, and supporting solutions that will make North Carolina affordable for working families and retirees.
