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Name: Matthew Laszacs
District/seat: House District 41
County or counties represented: Wake
Political party: Libertarian
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 45
Campaign website: matt4nc.us
Current occupation: Business executive
Professional experience: 20 years
Education: Bachelor of Science, business administration (cum laude)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement. Two-time candidate for state government.
What would be your top priority if elected?
We need to increase the supply of health care services so that rural families and families in medically underserved areas can get access to primary and preventative care as well as routine medications. Our current regulatory system prevents the growth of new and innovative health care services and protects incumbents from competition. I propose granting nurse practitioners and pharmacists full practice authority and I aim to dismantle the monopolistic Certificate of Need regime in Raleigh.
By percentage, what raises should state employees, school staff and teachers receive in the next state budget?
We need to remove politics and central planning from the process for determining teacher salaries. Central planners lack the necessary information to determine the value of every single teacher and therefore struggle to create accurate and competitive salaries, and politicians and the associated political process hinder the timely execution of salary adjustments. Teachers need expanded choice of employers and the ability to negotiate directly with those competing employers for better pay.
What legislation would you support to improve Triangle transportation, housing or infrastructure? Please be specific.
We need to repeal exclusionary zoning laws and land use ordinances so that developers can build the types and quantities of housing needed by our citizens. These ordinances unnecessarily restrict housing supply and density, both of which are necessary for efficient and affordable transportation and infrastructure. The North Carolina General Assembly should write clear rules that limit the growth of zoning laws and speed up the permitting process. If a developer meets the requirements, they get a permit.
Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
I would introduce legislation to expand educational savings accounts to all North Carolina families, regardless of income. I want to completely empower parents to select the best educational options for their individual children. This goes beyond just picking and paying for a school, but also for covering ancillary educational items such as tutoring, study materials, field learning, counseling, or any mix of educational tools that would best support the needs of each individual student.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
The Libertarian Party is a big tent with lots of room for individuals with differing views and opinions. I am a classical liberal with a strong belief in advancing Libertarian ideas iteratively as the public will accept them. I am about changing minds and pushing the population towards liberty in an incremental fashion over the long run. I am not trying to jump to the destination immediately, rather I am focused on the small steps of the journey to get us there together.
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