State budget includes $850K for Swain
The North Carolina General Assembly passed an official budget last week that includes $850,000 for critical infrastructure projects in Swain County.
Clampitt’s Oath Keeper membership an embarrassment
I know Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Swain, and he’s a likeable, personable guy whom I disagree with on a lot of issues concerning how best to govern North Carolina. Political and ideological differences, though, are healthy and make for good debate and are the cornerstone of our representative democracy. Finding common ground amid those differences is how good government works.
Clampitt’s Oath Keeper membership comes as no surprise
Western North Carolina Republican Rep. Mike Clampitt is an Oath Keeper.
Bill addresses judicial efficiency in western counties
A House bill proposed by Western North Carolina reps. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and Mark Pless, R-Haywood, includes significant changes to a judicial district that is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
Reps. Clampitt, Pless make big ask for mental health
Filed in the General Assembly on March 15, House Bill 280 contains only 112 words, but if it gains legislative approval its impact in Western North Carolina would be huge.
Insurrection: WNC leaders react
In the interest of transparency, all responses from local officials regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection have been published online, in their entirety. Some submissions may have been lightly edited for grammar, spelling and punctuation or to conform with AP style.
Clampitt, Queen face off for fifth time
They’ve now run against each other five times in 10 years so there’s not much voters don’t know about them already, but the first question of the Blue Ridge Public Radio/Smoky Mountain News forum Sept. 24 between Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen and his Republican challenger Mike Clampitt took a more substantial purview of their decade-long feud.
Clampitt/Queen forum announced
Republican Mike Clampitt and Democrat Rep. Joe Sam Queen, candidates for the North Carolina House of Representative District 119, will appear at a virtual town hall hosted by The Smoky Mountain News and Blue Ridge Public Radio.
Democratic candidates in WNC call for immediate Medicaid expansion
As the greatest public health crisis in more than a hundred years continues to ravage both the physical and fiscal health of the world, the nation and the state of North Carolina, a group of 15 Democratic candidates is calling for the immediate expansion of Medicaid.
Clampitt takes nomination in 119th District
It looks like one of North Carolina’s longest-running political feuds will go another round.
