Senator Natalie Murdock
Illustration by Margarita Babina
A total of 190,767 civilians reside within North Carolina's twentieth state senate district, and representing them is Senator Natalie Murdock. Natalie’s experience ranges from her work as Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, to membership on the Durham County Transportation Advisory Board, and spans nearly a decade of progressive endeavors. With many current, pressing issues and an election right around the corner, we asked the newly appointed senator what’s on her agenda.
Who is your role model?
It’s hard to pick one! So, I will lift up my two grandmothers: Dorthy Lee Jackson Murdock, Lena Latta, my mom Christine Murdock, Shirley Chisholm, and Maxine Waters. They are all unbought and unbossed and possess a fearless spirit.
"To whom much is given, much is required." What does this mean to you?
My family has always taught me that! It is the foundation of who I am and my commitment to being a public servant for the people of North Carolina. Today, we all share many opportunities thanks to the work, commitment, sacrifice, and progress earned and provided by those that have come before us, including our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors. They paved the way, so I am simply following their path and standing on their shoulders.
What additional or unique challenges does a newly appointed senator face?
The greatest challenge has been jumping into the Senate during a pandemic. The state is facing tremendous budget shortfalls. Your budget is a reflection of your values, and when funds are diminished, you have to fight that much harder to ensure that the values of the community you represent are reflected in the budget in some way. It’s challenging to get some of my colleagues to understand the real pain people are feeling and to urge them to hear those cries for help. I am not a stranger to these hardships; those cries for help are what keep me going each day so I will continue to fight.
Healthcare in North Carolina remains an issue for residents across the state, where over 13% of Durham County residents lack healthcare. How does your agenda address the concerns and increase access of those left out?
At this moment, we are experiencing a record number of Americans and North Carolinians without healthcare. One in five North Carolina adults are living without healthcare insurance, and many of them as a direct result of job losses from the pandemic.
Medicaid, which is provided largely from federal funding, can provide hope for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, especially in times of uncertainty and fear. There are only 12 states blocking legislation for Medicaid expansion, and we’re one of them. At this point, to not provide that critical healthcare to North Carolinians struggling, is just cruel. With our still increasing cases of COVID-19, we can’t turn our backs on our neighbors. Republicans in NC have historically blocked Medicaid expansion, and with newly elected Democratic senators, we have a chance of passing this legislation.
We need a robust education budget so that nurses, school psychologists, and social workers serve every school. The health habits children build early in their lives last into adulthood.
What’s more, data on health outcomes in North Carolina is limited, particularly when it comes to outcomes by gender and race. By committing to improving data collection on health and wellness at the county level, researchers and policymakers can better understand the issues North Carolinians face and how to address them and fund preventable health measures.
Access to reproductive health care gives North Carolinians the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. An employer should never have control over a woman’s access to birth control.
Additionally, people who identify as LGBTQ+ often have poorer health outcomes than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. The General Assembly can remedy this by establishing research and development funds dedicated to gender-affirming care, banning conversion therapy for minors, and changing state domestic violence laws to give people in homosexual relationships the same rights as their heterosexual peers.
Durham has experienced a rise in gun violence in the past year: what do you suppose is the cause, and do you have any ideas for solutions?
Violence is a very complex issue. Gun violence is on the rise across the nation.
At the core, we have too many guns on the street and gun sales continue to rise. So many other countries have reduced gun violence with gun buyback programs and common-sense gun laws. We must get the rapid rise in gun sales under control. We also have a gang problem; during this pandemic, far too many young people have a lot of free time on their hands and lack access to after school programs, job opportunities, and authentic mentorship.
Gun violence is also tied to economics. Unemployment is up, and jobs are hard to find. This can create a space for folks to engage in illegal activity to make money. I support community-based solutions — some of which include funding for violence interruption programs at the municipal level, and local nonprofits that are already doing this critical work. I support state level funding for violence intervention programs.
Why do you think Durham's light rail system failed? How else can we optimize public transportation?
The light rail project faced numerous challenges.
One of the reasons I ran for NC Senate was as a result of what I learned about the General Assembly while working on the project. What I learned in particular was how the legislature undermined the project - a critical nail in the coffin was the decrease in state-level funding.
During one budget cycle, in a provision first added to the budget in secret, the final conference report (with no chance for amendment) on the project went from securing nearly 25% of the project cost to only $500,000. While some of the funding was later restored, ultimately it was too little, too late. The project never truly recovered. The federal government typically provides 50% of the funding of major transit projects like the light rail. If there is an appearance that all of the local partners are not on the same page, the federal government is not going to be willing to hand over a billion dollars. That’s especially true when the state legislature appears to be actively opposing the project for unclear reasons.
A project that precisely followed a law to create a data-driven system that removed politics from the transportation funding process was gutted solely for political purposes. Major transit projects require an extreme level of political will, and at the end, we lost some of that due to the state legislature’s actions. That change forced a revamp of the project budget and hampered the project’s standing with stakeholders.
After what I experienced on the project, I pledged to run for office one day and to fight for greater public transportation investments at the state level. As we reimagine our transit future, all stakeholders have to be in it for the long haul.
Future plans include continuing to build our transit capacity with more routes and higher frequency. Having worked for a fare-free transit system, I would love for Durham to have fare-free service. We are the 9th largest state in the nation, and public transit must remain a priority. In the midst of COVID-19, transit funding took another hit at the state level, and we will have to find more ways to fund and support public transit, investing in projects that have the local support necessary for success.
Asheville made history in a unanimously approved measure as the first North Carolina town to approve reparations to historically disenfranchised communities and the descendants of enslaved people. How can district 20 lead the way in restorative justice?
My justice plan is rightly named after Pauli Murray in honor of her leadership in justice and law. I attribute much of my early career to my experiences in Asheville; they have come a long way in recognizing disenfranchised communities and addressing reparations. This kind of commitment is a step in the right direction.
Our district is in the midst of a criminal justice renaissance. I support legislation that would provide state level funding for grant programs to uplift alternative approaches to policing like Durham Beyond Policing, as approved by local governing bodies. Currently, these local, innovative approaches are generally funded by foundations - state funding should also be made available to support the grassroots work of organizations right here in Durham that are working to implement needed reforms.
My father worked with the Greensboro NAACP chapter for decades to provide support and services to those who were wrongfully convicted of crimes. In District 20, Senator Floyd McKissick sponsored transformative legislation with the introduction of the Second Chance Act.
As NC Policy Watch notes, “The Second Chance Act is a bipartisan ‘clean slate’ bill that would automatically expunge criminal charges that are dismissed or deposed ‘not guilty’ after July 1, 2020 and allow individuals to petition for expungement of all nonviolent misdemeanor convictions after seven years of good behavior.”
I was proud to support and vote for this transformative legislation, and suggest we should support and fund our North Carolina Re-entry Council, cash bail reforms, criminal record expungement programs, strengthen domestic violence laws, support common-sense gun laws, and stand up for our immigrant community.
We should also decriminalize marijuana, vacate as many sentences as possible, and follow the Illinois model — utilizing funds from those legal sales of marijuana to fund restorative justice programs.
How can we close the pay gap for black women?
Black women are still paid $0.61 to every dollar made by a non-Hispanic man. In order to close the financial inequities and implement real change, organizing and hard work must continue with bold leaders who have a vision of a better and brighter future that pays hard-working people a living wage. As a state senator, I will introduce and support legislation that fights for equal pay for equal work while following national models, such as one bill introduced by Senator Kamala Harris that rightly shifts the responsibility of proving the gap — or lack thereof — from individuals to corporations. I would also support a bill that follows the Massachusetts model and work to introduce an equal pay law.
What will it take for anti-maskers to wise up?
Like many people who have never experienced hardships, discrimination, or systemic oppression, it will take an incident or experience that directly affects them, for them to be swayed to do something for the common good. A Republican member of the NC senate tested positive for COVID-19 and oftentimes did not wear a mask. Failing to take this pandemic seriously not only endangers us as legislators, but also endangers the Black and Brown people who maintain the Capitol facilities, keeping them clean so that we can serve and do our jobs. One of the many ways we can support front line workers is to wear a mask so that they are not exposed.
Which is the most important matter for NC residents and where does NC need the biggest investment?
COVID-19 recovery. The impacts of this pandemic will permeate every aspect of our lives for years to come. Those who are most vulnerable, working on the front lines each day, will need long-term support. Eviction moratoriums have held off a massive crisis, but it's a ticking time bomb. Nationwide, over 40 million Americans are at risk of losing their homes. Our state, local leaders, and organizations will need to provide long term support for the most basic of needs: housing and food. We will need to do all we can to support programs that address mental health needs, homelessness, and substance abuse.
Is being ambitious an acquired trait or innate quality?
I think it depends on the person. Some folks rise to occasion due to the circumstances. I have always been ambitious and welcomed the opportunity to serve and lead. For me, it was innate; I always push myself to do the best that I can and seek positions of influence in order to bring about change. Far too often folks think ambition is rooted in a quest to elevate oneself. My ambition comes from being confident in knowing that through my public service, I can transform systems and bring about needed change. More voices are needed at all tables, so I push and bring my folding chair.
Many in the political sphere say whatever it takes to get a vote, so what does it truly mean to be a public servant?
As a public servant, I think we should do whatever it takes within our scope and our values to earn people’s trust in representation. That’s why I will never do anything for political gain that makes it difficult for me to sleep at night. Voters want to see you. From attending their BBQs, going to church with them, volunteering for worthy causes, spending the day in their neighborhoods, to knocking on doors (pre-COVID), a public servant devotes their time and energy to the community they love. A public servant builds support and trust by doing the work and being present — showing up as many times as it takes. Voters also respond to authenticity. Being a public servant means putting people first, and it's a calling that I am honored to accept.