Immediately as I arrived at the NC legislature building I could see that things were a lot busier than yesterday. A woman came up to me and asked if I was a senate page or a house page, so I might’ve disappointed her in telling her that I was doing a work experience. Everyone was very friendly.
I shadowed Ms. Perkinson as she went around the legislative office building, connecting with representatives and their staffers to make appointments. A memorable quote that she told me was that “more things will get done walking across the legislative bridge than a full scheduled meeting”, which essentially means you should never miss an opportunity to bump into someone and form a connection with them, because you never know what you may get done! Among many other Senators and their staffers, notably I was able to meet Sen. Chuck Edwards, who recently won his election against Madison Cawthorn.
I was also able to see my first committee hearing, a judiciary hearing to consider the nomination of the secretary for the department of public safety.
In the afternoon I met Ms. Beaulieu, another lobbyist and close friend of Ms. Perkinson. I was able to learn a lot about the legislative process and more specific details of how she works with her clients. I finished off the day observing a committee hearing about oyster production in Eastern Carolina!