Powerful GOP lawmaker to leave. What Rep. Jason Saine said about why ‘it’s time’
Another top Republican state lawmaker is leaving this year: Rep. Jason Saine of Lincolnton.
In an interview with The News & Observer on Friday, Saine confirmed his departure for a job in the private sector. Saine is a top House budget writer and the force behind legalizing sports betting in North Carolina, which became law last year. He has served since 2011.
Saine said he is planning to work in multi-state marketing for a mental health company and will resign in mid-August. He’s running unopposed in his Republican-leaning district.
Saine said he hopes that a current local elected official he has in mind — he did not name who that is — will be appointed to replace him and then take his seat after the election.
Saine, 50, said it was time to go. He may go into lobbying, too, he said, but has not made a final decision yet. He said he’ll “still be North Carolina-based” in his work.
He will send in his resignation letter on Monday afternoon, effective Aug. 12. In his letter, Saine wrote that it has been “an unparalleled honor” to serve Lincoln County and House District 97 for the past 13 years.
“I’ve done a lot of challenging things, and, you know, I don’t think anybody should serve forever,” he said in an interview. Saine said that aside from the budget, he’s loved working to expand broadband internet access, and had gone to a fiber-optic internet expansion announcement in Lincoln County on Friday.
His son Jackson is going into his junior year of high school, and Saine said he’d like to make sure he can watch his son’s high school football games. Saine said he’s looking forward to spending time on their boat this summer, too.
NC Tribune first reported Saine’s plans with unnamed sources, and unconfirmed by Saine, on Monday morning. Saine talked to The News & Observer on Friday, but embargoed his news until he made an announcement Monday, meaning he spoke on the condition it would not be reported until Monday.
Other GOP changes in the House
House Speaker Tim Moore, Saine’s ally in the House, is leaving this year. Moore is running in a Republican-leaning congressional district and is likely to win the seat. Moore’s successor is likely to be House Rules Chair Destin Hall.
Saine said he’s happy for Hall. “It’s an onboarding process. And I’ve always said to everybody around me like, hey, learn this stuff, because I’m not here forever.”
Saine has been the powerful chair of the House Appropriations Committee for years, and before that was Finance Committee chair.
Negotiations on this year’s budget broke down. Saine said that whether or not a budget adjustment bill passes this year, “I’ve done my part.”
In May, as the budget battle stalled again, as it does most years, Saine was hopeful.
“Sometimes when there’s disagreements, it becomes a little intense. That being said, I feel like we are working toward an agreement and talk behind-the-scenes,” Saine said then.
A major part of the annual budget is raises for state employees and teachers, and House Republicans generally have wanted higher raises than their Republican counterparts in the Senate. The legislature is entirely controlled by Republicans, who have a supermajority.
Lawmakers passed a bill in June that authorized teacher raises, and state employees were already set to get a 3% raise this year.
Saine said he’ll miss the General Assembly and his colleagues, including those on the other side of the aisle.
Moore, the outgoing House speaker running for Congress, said Monday that Saine is both a colleague and friend, saying in a statement that Saine has served his county faithfully.
“As Appropriations chair and an advocate for broadband access and eSports, Rep. Saine has been a pivotal figure in passing significant state policies that have helped shape the future of North Carolina. Rep. Saine has made an indelible mark on our state and in the N.C. House of Representatives, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” Moore said.
Hall said he’s enjoyed serving with Saine for more than seven years, wishing him “great success in his future endeavors, and I thank him for his dedication to public service and the state of North Carolina.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 9:35 AM.
.jpg)