 |
Recipient of the 2006 Legislator
of the Year Award
Representative William
Wainwright
Representing Craven and Lenoir Counties
|
Representative
William Wainwright has always been a champion of citizens that are
less able to speak up on their own behalf. He has great concern for
those with low income, the uninsured, and the disenfranchised. His
legislative record is an impressive list of bills he has sponsored
that are to a great majority related to issues of health and education,
and very often specific to the mission of Public Health.
Representative
Wainwright has always made himself available to the concerns of the
Health Directors in and around his district. Perhaps it is his many
years of experience that has given him great expertise and insight
into the legislative process, but it is his passion to support what
is right and best for the health and welfare of the people that enhances
his effectiveness and makes him so approachable on behalf of human
services issues.
When he was asked
for advice and/or assistance with the issue of smoking in local government
buildings shared by a number of departments, he volunteered to sponsor
the bill and had it written by his staff to protect entranceways as
well. Co-sponsors for the bill were not plentiful, but he never hesitated
to take on the challenges. During the process he had to face more
than one obstacle to what would have seemed a simple matter. The bill
took many more hours of work than would have been expected, but his
persistence prevailed in the passage of this bill and an additional
bill allowing DSS buildings to be smoke free as well.
