Wiley Nickel: “It has been just over 100 days since I was sworn into office, and it is an amazing honor and privilege to represent the…”

“It has been just over 100 days since I was sworn into office, and it is an amazing honor and privilege to represent the people of North Carolina's 13th District. Over the last few months, I have had the pleasure of hearing from so many of my constituents through phone calls, emails, texts, townhall meetings, and meetings all over the district. Right now, the reality is that North Carolinians need help keeping up with the rising costs of goods and services. Seniors and young parents alike deserve the opportunity to build their families and put down roots. However, with an unfair and overburdensome tax system, coupled with the increasing cost of living, making ends meet is tough. To show this, I commissioned an economic impact report using a sample budget based on the median costs for basic necessities through the Economic Policy Institute and the United States Census. The report shows that working families are finding it hard to pay for things like rent, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. Madam Speaker, when you take a closer look at the budget breakdown, it is a real wake-up call. A working family could spend about 19 percent of their income on childcare, 21 percent on housing, and 22 percent on healthcare. I have collected testimonials and survey responses from hundreds of constituents who shared their personal experiences dealing with the rising cost of childcare and the rising cost of housing.…”