Haywood,
Jackson,
and Swain

A statue that Rep. Queen helped dedicate recently donned a mask to emphasize their importance during this pandemic. “All American patriots wear masks,” Earl Lanning said.

"We had a very good process of distributing that,” Queen said. “I thought we had a great week — it was a good model for common-sense budgeting and the kind of collaboration we haven’t seen in many, many weeks in Raleigh.”

This is Rep. Joe Sam Queen's first virtual town hall of the 2020 short session. We discuss the Covid-19 Pandemic, Unemployment and upcoming concerns for 2020. With Special Guest Mark Jaben.

“You shouldn’t have to choose between your education and making ends meet,” said Queen. “Whether it’s a car repair, an unexpected healthcare cost or a childcare need, these grants offer assistance to make sure you keep your head above water and graduate on time.”

“One of the most problematic things we see on a day-to-day basis is the lack of availability for treatment when individuals seek assistance,” Queen said. “We continually see people falling through the cracks due to the fact that they do not have insurance, and like most folks, are unable to afford treatment or medication costs for after care, post rehabilitation. By expanding Medicaid and making these vital services available, we will start to see a decrease in the continuation of a perpetuating cycle of addiction and hopelessness.”

"When you take away the spin, the real question is, do we want to pay for our own healthcare or do we want to ship our tax dollars off, out of state, never to be seen again?"

“It wasn’t worth a damn — it left 500,000 folks without healthcare. It didn’t give teachers and state employees the raises they deserve, and we’re going to veto it, because we’re not going to go along with that,” he said. “I’m not willing to throw 500,000 North Carolina citizens under the bus, now that we have worked hard to give them the veto to make that case. We’re going to make our case.”

July 17, 2019

That’s a positive $10 billion impact on our North Carolina economy if we expand Medicaid now. The spread is an astounding $20 BILLION for no, I repeat, NO NEW TAXES.

That, my friends, is a significant difference worth fighting for.

July 17, 2019

“It’s not a good thing to not have a state budget,” said Queen. “The only way we move this is with public pressure. People need to call their elected representatives and tell them to negotiate with their duly elected governor.”

July 17, 2019

“They’re playing a game right now called budget garage,” Queen told The Smoky Mountain News.

“They don’t have the votes,” Queen also said. “We will sustain the governor’s veto. We won’t cave.”

July 17, 2019

Representative Joe Sam Queen will host a town hall meeting from 4-5 p.m. Saturday at Southwestern Child Development Commission

July 17, 2019

“We have a thriving whitewater industry for rafting, canoeing and fly fishing. And we want all those to be protected,” said Representative Joe Sam Queen.

July 17, 2019

He will meet with constituents and address the progress of the legislative session so far, including the current budget negotiations and their implications for residents in the N.C. 119th legislative district.

July 10, 2019

Gov. Roy Cooper’s Invest N.C. Bond would commit $55 million for Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties. This allocation is timely, transparent, and certain. It would be distributed as follows:

July 8, 2019

Master of Ceremonies state Rep. Joe Sam Queen called Lanning a “man with art, history and adventure in his blood.”

July 4, 2019

“Celebrate our liberties, celebrate our founding values and stand up for our great country,” State Representative Joe Sam Queen said.

July 3, 2019

“I am vetoing this budget because it prioritizes the wrong things,” Cooper said during a press conference at the Executive Mansion later that day. “It values corporate tax breaks over classrooms, gimmicks over guaranteed school construction and political ideology over people.”

June 26, 2019

“We will not negotiate away healthcare for half a million citizens that we have already paid for,” Queen said. “This budget is about saving 1,000 lives every year, and insuring 500,000 hard-working, low-wage workers.”

June 26, 2019

“Thank you to everyone who submitted a public comment — 534 comments were received by the Department of Labor,” Queen wrote in his weekly newsletter. “We appreciate everyone for pitching in! Public pressure made the difference, and all of you were instrumental in saving this great program in Western North Carolina.”

June 19, 2019

In his letter to Acosta, Queen pointed out that the Oconaluftee Job Corps Center, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is ranked 18 out of 124 centers in the nation. It’s top performance record is what makes it difficult to understand why Oconaluftee is on the chopping block.

June 12, 2019

“I believe in this program, and its positive impact on the Cherokee community speaks for itself. I think that you will agree once you meet the fine people who work at this center.”

May 9, 2019

“Everywhere we have electricity, we should have high-speed internet service,” said North Carolina Representative Joe Sam Queen, chair of the House Broadband Workgroup. “These grants are a great step forward toward that goal.”

May 8, 2019

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to promote unique things in our area, our national parks and our beautiful mountains in general,” said Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville. “It’s a way to use really a symbol of North Carolina to promote our region.”

April 16, 2019

“I’m honored to be on the campus of Western Carolina,” Cooper told the class. “What a great university that’s well-respected, not only across our state, but across the country. You guys have great paying jobs out there waiting for you. There are a lot of businesses, a lot of governmental entities that really need people that have the training that you’re getting right here at Western Carolina,” he said.