In preparation for the week ahead, I spent time researching recent developments in the NC General Assembly as well as reviewing House and Senate bills that had been passed or filed in previous weeks. Because the NCGA does not meet until evening on Mondays, I did not travel downtown but instead met with lawyer/lobbyist Ashley Perkinson via zoom to discuss logistics and gain a basic understanding of her work. It was really cool to hear about some of the groups that she represents- her clients include the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association among many others. Ashley summarized some bills she had been working with recently, and I found it interesting that she’s able to deal with legislation relating to fields that differ completely, like education and public health. I spent the rest of the day looking more into bills that had passed out of one chamber before the crossover deadline and would therefore be further discussed by the opposite chamber in the future. Overall, it was a great first day!
Ashley Perkinson (pictured right) representing the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association at an event in 2018.