Senator Walters Pleased with Committee Assignments

RALEIGH — Sen. Michael Walters has been named vice chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, as well as a member of the powerful Appropriations Base Budget and Finance committees. He also will serve as a member of three other committees: State and Local Government, Transportation, and Select Committee on Energy Science and Technology.

The committees will begin their work after the General Assembly convenes in Raleigh next month.

Walters, a Democrat from Fairmont, was appointed in November by Gov. Beverly Perdue to represent District 13 — Robeson and Hoke counties — after David Weinstein gave up the seat to head the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. His first test of voter support will come May 4 during the Democratic primary, when he faces challenger Robert Benjamin Clark of Raeford.

Walters, the president of Claybourn Walters Logging Company, which is involved in agriculture, timber and real estate development, said Thursday that he is “very pleased” with the committee assignments he received from Marc Basnight, the Senate leader. He believes the committees give him an avenue to use his experience as a businessman to serve the residents of Robeson and Hoke counties.

“I have been working very hard during my first six months in office,” Walters said. “It has been a welcoming experience. I’m enjoying it.”

Schorr Johnson, a spokesman for Basnight, said Thursday that although Walters has only been in the Senate a short time, he has already made a good impression with the Senate leadership.

“Sen. Basnight has a lot of respect for him,” Johnson said. “We need people like him who know business and how to create jobs ... . Basnight wanted to give him committee appointments that would best fit his experiences and help him best serve the people in Robeson and Hoke counties.”

Walters said that as vice chairman of the Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, he can work to “protect and grow” the economies that are viable to Robeson and Hoke counties. He said that as a member of Budget and Finance committees he can add a businessman’s point of view on economic issues.

“We need to create jobs. In creating jobs the key ingredient is education,” Walters said. “I realize that the state budget will be extremely tight in the midst of the worst recession this state has faced, but we must do everything we can to protect our public schools and our university system. The education of tomorrow’s generation can’t wait until the economy improves.”