A Message From Karl

On November 3rd of 2020, I was fortunate enough to win the election to serve in the North Carolina House of Representatives 120th district representing Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon Counties.

One of my priorities was to have the best constituent services office in Raleigh. While I have no way of knowing if we have the best, I am confident we have handled each and every request we have gotten in a timely, efficient and caring manner. I will be running again for the opportunity to represent the 120th NC House district for another term. To do so, I am humbly requesting your help. It costs money to run a campaign. When you give to my campaign you not only are helping me, you are helping to achieve our shared interests for the state of North Carolina.

In my freshman year, I have been the primary sponsor on 11 bills and co-sponsored 61 bills, of which 12 were signed by the Governor into law. I am proud to have had a part in North Carolina’s first budget signed into law since 2018. In this budget, we were able to secure over $43 million for specific projects in the 120th NC House district. This included several water and sewer projects, a 911 call center, EMS station, Courthouse repairs, and critical funding for two community colleges. The state budget also includes various important items such as:

• The elimination of the state income tax on military pensions
• An additional $1.5 billion above the base budget for K-12 education
• Increasing the zero-tax bracket to $25,500
• 5% pay raises for state employees and teachers
• $15 minimum wage for non-certified public-school personnel and community college staff
• Over $1 billion for broadband and $6 billion for infrastructure projects

All of this was accomplished with a balanced budget and brings our “Rainy Day Fund” (Savings) to $4.25 billion, which is the largest in North Carolina’s history.

I currently serve on the following committee assignments which give me an opportunity to impact North Carolina policy:

• Agriculture
• Appropriations
• Education Appropriations
• Vice-Chair of Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs
• Vice-Chair of Wildlife Resources
• Joint Legislative Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources

To achieve this, our campaign needs your help raising money. Please consider contributing whatever you can afford. Every dollar we raise is critical and your generosity will help to ensure our district continues to have a strong advocate in Raleigh.

If you are interested in contributing, please go to our campaign website www.votekarl.com, click on contribute and give what you can. Or, if you prefer to mail a check please send it to the address listed below. I commit to you that I will spend every dollar wisely and every dollar will go toward making North Carolina a better place for us, our children, and our grandchildren. Thank you in advance for your contribution and support!

Respectfully,
Karl E. Gillespie
[email protected]
PO Box 742
Franklin, NC 28744
828-371-2220