Dale Folwell

Dale Folwell
Assistant Secretary of Commerce Department of Employment Security
In office Mar. 2013 – Dec. 2015
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
In office Jan. 2005 – Dec. 2012
Speaker Pro Tempore
In office Jan. 2011 – Dec. 2012
Preceded by	William L. Wainwright
Succeeded by	Paul Stam
Joint Republican Caucus Leader
In office 2007–2008
Personal details
Born	(1958-12-17) December 17, 1958
Political party	Republican
Residence	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Education	B.S., MAcc., C.P.A.
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Profession	Consultant, Registered Investment Advisor Deutsche Bank/Alex Brown
Religion	Methodist

Dale Folwell is the former Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives. A Republican from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he served four terms in the North Carolina General Assembly.

In 2013, Folwell was named head of the state's Division of Employment Security in the administration of Gov. Pat McCrory.^[1] He resigned from that position, effective Dec. 1, 2015.^[2] That day, he filed to run for North Carolina State Treasurer in the 2016 election.^[3]

Education & private employment

Folwell is a North Carolina native born in Raleigh. He attended West Forsyth High School and received his BS in accounting from UNC Greensboro in 1984. He passed the Certified Public Accounting Exam and went on to receive his Masters in Accounting from UNC Greensboro in 1986. He is a former Vice President and Registered Investment Advisor for Deutsche Bank/Alex Brown.

After graduating from the NC Institute of Political Leadership in 1989, he served on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education from 1993 to 2000.

Personal life

In May 1999, Representative Folwell’s 7 year-old son Dalton died after being hit by a car as he tried to board a school bus. Following the accident, he and his wife allowed their son to be an organ donor.^[4] Since then, Representative Folwell has been an advocate and spokesman for organ donation. In 2006, he set out on a month-long motorcycle ride around the United States raising awareness and money for organ and blood donation. He set the record for the most miles driven on a motorcycle in one month on October 1, 2006 with 32,978 miles.^[5] In 2007, he sponsored NC House Bill 1372, The Heart Prevails Act.^[6] It allows an individual to indicate on their driver’s license that they are an organ donor. The bill also lowered the blood donor age from 17 to 16.

Electoral history

From 1992 to 2000 Folwell served on the Forsyth County School Board.^[7]

In 2004 Folwell was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives receiving 62.9% of votes.^[8] He served four terms, and was elected Speaker Pro Tempore for the 2011-2012 session.^[9]

In December 2011, Folwell announced that he would not seek re-election to his NC House seat in 2012.^[10] Instead, he ran for N.C. Lieutenant Governor but was defeated by Dan Forest and Tony Gurley in the May 2012 primary.^[11]

Political positions

Folwell has been a vocal proponent of Senate Bill 514, The Defense of Marriage Act. The bill places on the ballot a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions.^[12] He has spoken publicly and written editorially in support of it.^[13][14]

North Carolina Assistant Secretary of Commerce

On March 13, 2013 Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker announced that Dale Folwell will become the Assistant Secretary of Employment Security at the N.C. Department of Commerce.^[15]

When Folwell assumed his duties at the Department of Employment Security (DES), North Carolina’s unemployment insurance system owed the federal government approximately $2.5 billion.^[16] In thirty months DES paid off this debt and built a $1 billion surplus. As a result North Carolina businesses saved more than $550 million in taxes during 2015-2016 with decreases to their Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) charges.

“North Carolina employers have shouldered the financial responsibility in repaying this $2.8 billion debt and $283 million interest to the federal government since 2011,” said DES Assistant Secretary Dale Folwell. “In the last year we have made tremendous progress and have reached a reserve balance of over $1 billion in the state unemployment trust fund. Building this fund to more than $1 billion saved employers millions of dollars more.” ^[17]

In addition to being the, "point man on long-overdue reforms to the state’s unemployment insurance system" Fowell oversaw a number of reforms that increased efficiency in the Department of Employment Security. Reform efforts resulted in significantly decreased wait times at the DES call center, faster disposition of cases and more effective procedures for identifying fraudulent claims.^[16] These procedures included implementation of an administrative wait week, as well as photo ID requirements.^[18][19]

Legislative history

His House committee assignments included: Appropriations, Commerce & Job Development, Finance, Government, Insurance, Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House, and State Personnel. He was a chairman of the Finance Committee and vice-chairman of the State Personnel Committee. He was also chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and a member of the Commerce and Job Development Subcommittee on Business and Labor.^[20] From 2007-2008 he served as Joint Republican Caucus Leader.^[21]

A 2010 ranking of the non-partisan North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research ranked Folwell 38th in effectiveness in the House, down from 32nd the prior session.^[22] In both sessions, Folwell ranked as one of the more effective members of the minority party. The North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation gave Rep. Folwell a top 10 business rating among all state representatives and senators for the 2011 legislative session.^[23] The 2011 NCFEF business rating report ranked him seventh in the House. In 2009, Civitas Action rated him the most conservative member of the House.^[24] In 2011, Civitas Action ranked Folwell as the 6th most conservative member of the House.^[25]

2011-12 session

After the first half of the 2011-12 session eight of the eleven bills Representative Folwell introduced became law. Governor Bev Perdue signed six of them into law and allowed two to become law without her signature.

• House Bill 215 - Unborn Victims of Violence Act/Ethen's Law This legislation protects mothers and their unborn children. It creates criminal offenses for killing or hurting an unborn child while attacking a pregnant woman. It passed the House 78-39 and passed the Senate 45-4. Gov. Perdue signed it April 29, 2011.^[26]
• House Bill 427 - Run and You're Done The law authorizes law enforcement agencies to seize vehicles used to run from police. It passed the House 115-0 and passed the Senate 49-0. Gov. Perdue signed it June 23, 2011.^[27]
• House Bill 523 - CHANGE Winston-Salem/Forsyth Election Method The law changes the election year for the city of Winston-Salem and election method for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. It passed the House 69-48 and the Senate by voice votes. It became law without Gov. Perdue's signature.
• House Bill 709 Protect and Put NC Back to Work The law fundamentally alters the state's worker's compensation laws. It caps the time injured workers can collect temporary total disability (TTD) benefits to 500 weeks (9.6 years). It allows a longer period when temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits can be collected to 500 weeks. It passed the House 110-3 and the Senate 46-0. Gov. Perdue signed it June 24, 2011.^[28]
• House Bill 744 Safe Students Act The law requires school principals to ask for a student's birth certificate and immunization records when the student first registers for school. It allows for some other forms of identification when a birth certificate is unavailable. It passed the House 77-27 and the Senate 50-0. It became law without Gov. Perdue signing the bill.
• House Bill 748 Organ Donation Month Resolution The resolution encourages North Carolinians to recognize each April as organ donation month. It was adopted unanimously April 13, 2011.

The Gfeller and Waller families watch Gov. Perdue sign the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act.

• House Bill 792 Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act The bill created the most stringent law in the nation for identifying and treating youth athletes for concussions. It is named for Matthew Gfeller and Jaquan Waller. The two young men died of brain injuries suffered in separate sporting events. It requires the development of an athletic concussion safety training program for interscholastic athletic competition. It passed the House 110-0 and the Senate 42-0. Gov. Perdue signed it on June 16, 2011.^[29]
• House Bill 927 State Pension Plan Solvency Reform Act The bill requires state employees hired after August 1, 2011 work for the state ten years before vesting in the pension. It also creates a misdemeanor offense for anyone fraudulently accepting someone else's pension benefit. It passed the House 117-0 and the Senate 46-1. Gov. Perdue signed it June 23, 2011.

2009-10 session

In the 2009-10 session Representative Folwell introduced twenty bills. Eight of them passed the legislature and were signed into law by Gov. Perdue.

• House Bill 436 Ease in Renovating Adult Care Homes The bill eases approval of innovative renovations for nursing homes, adult care homes and intermediate care facilities for the mentally disabled. Potential renovations include converting semi-private to private rooms. It passed the House 99-13 and the Senate 48-0. Gov. Perdue signed the bill into law on June 19, 2009.
• House Bill 439 Recovering Taxpayer Money from Unpaid Ambulance Services The bill saves taxpayers, counties, and cities thousands of dollars for unreimbursed ambulance services provided to state health plan members. It requires the state health plan to make payments for ambulance services directly or co-payable to the ambulance provider. It passed the House 117-0 and the Senate 47-0. Gov. Perdue signed the bill into law on June 11, 2009.
• House Bill 440 Nicholas Adkins School Bus Safety Act The act allows for the use of video recording equipment be installed on school buses to record anyone who passes a stopped school bus. The recordings can then be used as evidence in a trial. The law also creates a felony offense for anyone who willfully passes a stopped school bus, hits a pedestrian and kills that person. The act passed the House 116-0 and the Senate 45-0. Gov. Perdue signed it into law on June 22, 2009.^[30]
• House Bill 557 Future Volunteer Firefighters Act The act allows uncompensated youth between 15 and 18 years old to participate in training with volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, the Office of State Fire Marshall, or the Department of Community Colleges. It passed the House 114-0 and the Senate 49-0. Gov. Perdue signed it into law May 4, 2009.
• House Bill 1031 Simplify Building Standards for Pre-K Classes The bill saves property taxpayers because prekindergarten no longer must be refitted or renovated if they already meet the building standards for kindergarten classrooms. It passed the House 115-0 and the Senate 45-0. Gov. Perdue signed the bill into law June 19, 2009.
• House Bill 1221 Benefit Statement for Employees The bill directs the Office of State Personnel to develop a comprehensive benefit statement showing the present value of North Carolina's future obligations to state employees for pension and retiree health care benefits. It passed the House 112-0 and the Senate 48-0. Gov. Perdue signed it into law June 8, 2009.
• House Bill 1327 School Notified of Gang Violence The bill authorizes law enforcement agencies to provide criminal intelligence information about gang violence and activity to a school principal affected by gangs when there is imminent danger to students, personnel or property. It passed the House 116-1 and the Senate 48-0. Gov. Perdue signed it into law on June 11, 2009.
• House Bill 1377 Safe Schools Act The act protects children by not allowing school employees who commit misconduct worthy of dismissal to resign and apply to another school. The act passed the House 107-0 and the Senate 44-0. Gov. Perdue signed it into law on July 30, 2010.

2007-08 session

In the 2007-08 session Representative Folwell introduced fourteen bills. Six of them passed the legislature, and were signed by Gov. Mike Easley into law.

• House Bill 150 Every Child Ready to Learn The bill moves the kindergarten entrance age from October 16 to August 31.^[31] The bill passed the House 106-2 and the Senate 44-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law July 4, 2007.
• House Bill 454 Identity Theft The bill permits law enforcement officers to photograph people cited for not producing a license in order to protect citizens from identity theft. It passed the House 104-5 and the Senate 48-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law on August 31, 2007.
• House Bill 1372 Heart Prevails The bill updates North Carolina law regarding organ donation by creating standards for organ donation as well as allowing citizens to change their organ donor status online. It passed the House 110-0 and the Senate 48-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law August 31, 2007.
• House Bill 1593 State Health Plan/Change to Calendar Year It directs the executive administrator to study moving the State Health Plan to a calendar year instead of a fiscal year basis. It passed the House 97-0 and the Senate 45-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law August 31, 2007.
• House Bill 1688 Amend Combined Motor Vehicle Registration and Combined Property Tax It permits the Division of Motor Vehicles to issue limited registration tags. It passed the House 113-1 and the Senate 47-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law August 2, 2007.
• House Bill 2487 Change Format of Driver's Licenses/Under 21 The bill changes the format of a driver's license or special identification card being issued to a person younger than 21 from a horizontal to vertical format.^[32][33][34] Gov. Easley signed it into law August 16, 2008.

2005-06 session

In the 2005-06 session, as a freshman, Representative Folwell introduced ten bills. Gov. Easley signed five of them into law.

• House Bill 1400 - School Bus Safety Act It increases penalties for passing stopped school bus. It passed the House 111-0 and the Senate 49-0. Gov. Easley signed the School Bus Safety Act into law on July 21, 2005.
• House Bill 1401 - Concealed Carry by Off-Duty Active and Sworn Police Officers The law allows law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons while off-duty. It passed the House 101-5 and the Senate 46-2. Gov. Easley signed the Concealed Carr by Off-Duty Active and Sworn Police Officers Act into law on Aug. 26, 2005.
• House Bill 1404 Seizure of Documents and Plates The law authorizes law enforcement officers to seize the certificate of title, registration card, permit, license, or registration plate when alerted by the Division of Motor Vehicles. It passed the House 118-0 and the Senate 49-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law on Sept. 7, 2005.
• House Bill 1779 - Property Tax Paid with Vehicle Registration The law requires state agencies collect property taxes on vehicles when they are registered or the registration is renewed. It passed the House 107-0 and the Senate 49-0. Gov. Easley signed the bill into law on Aug. 22, 2005. The Winston-Salem Journal reports the executive bureaucracy is dragging its feet implementing the law.^[35]
• House Bill 2880 - No Prayer for Judgment/Bus Stop Arm Violation The law does not allow a person who violates the School Bus Safety Act to receive a Prayer for Judgement. It passed the House 102-0 and the Senate 49-0. Gov. Easley signed it into law on July 23, 2006.

References

External links

• Bio - Project Vote Smart