Shows / Do Politics Better Podcast
Do Politics Better Podcast
A weekly look at North Carolina politics and the North Carolina General Assembly from two lobbyists’ perspectives. Hosted by lobbyists Brian Lewis and Skye David.
Episodes
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Behind the Scenes with Senate Policy Advisor Brent Woodcox
Brent Woodcox is Senior Policy Counsel to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, a position in which he helps the Senate majority enact conservative policies…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Auditor Beth Wood, from Dental Hygienist to CPA to the Taxpayers‘ Watchdog
Auditor Beth Wood is unlike any modern day politician in North Carolina. She's soft-spoken yet very direct, a CPA with vast knowledge of arcane accounting…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. John Bradford: Energy, Optimism, & Effectiveness
Rep. John Bradford is all energy, all optimism, all the time. It's how he runs two businesses he founded, prioritizes time with his family, chairs the powerful…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Special Holiday Edition: Stephen Kent & How the Force Can Fix the World (& Our Politics)
Author, podcaster, and media pro Stephen Kent sits down with Brian to talk about his newly released book, How the Force Can Fix the World. In these divisive…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
We Have a State Budget! Plus a Conversation with Rep. Matthew Winslow
Rep. Matthew Winslow wasn't just raised by a teenage mom, he grew up with her, and they even attended college together. The freshman Republican also talks…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Here Comes the Judge: A Conversation with Rep. Joe John
Rep. Joe John is a rare legislator with high level experience in all three branches of government. Before his election to the NC House in 2016, Rep. John…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Michael Lazzara‘s Life in Politics & Love of Pizza
Sen. Michael Lazzara talks about his career in politics, his early life in Sicily and Chicago, and how enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps led him to Camp…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep Ricky Hurtado‘s Message to Both Political Parties
Rep. Ricky Hurtado talks about his family’s immigration story from El Salvador, growing up in Sanford, and the journey to Alamance County, where he won a NC…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Tim Moffitt is Back in the General Assembly & Busier Than Ever
Rep. Tim Moffitt returned to the General Assembly in 2020 after losing a tough re-election campaign in 2014. The Henderson County Republican talks about his…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Billy Richardson on Dyslexia, Dealmaking, & His Democratic Party
Rep. Billy Richardson is an accomplished lawyer and legislator, but he was unlikely to be either until he confided in his high school English teacher that he…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Jimmy Dixon, the General Assembly Agriculture Ambassador
Rep. Jimmy Dixon was raised by his grandmother on a farm before he went on to play football at Wake Forest on a scholarship and returned to Duplin County to…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Sydney Batch on Legislating Effectively from the Back Row
Sen. Sydney Batch knows that if she's going to positively affect legislation in the Senate she's got to work across the aisle and through back channels. The…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Brenden Jones, a Hard-Charger or ‘the Easiest Teddy Bear in the Building‘?
Rep. Brenden Jones is as plain-spoken and to-the-point as legislators come at the General Assembly. But, beneath the Columbus/Robeson County Republican's…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Terry Brown on the Importance of Quality Committee Work
While Rep. Terry Brown is a freshman legislator, he's a throwback in many ways as he is known for his preparation and readiness to improve legislation in…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Erin Paré, Former Federal Lobbyist Turned State Legislator
If Rep. Erin Paré makes legislating at the General Assembly look easy it may have something to do with the fact she spent seven years on Capitol Hill as a…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Brian Farkas: ‘Be Kind and Be Respectful‘
Rep. Brian Farkas is a moderate Democrat who thrives in a coin-toss Pitt County district that gives him the freedom to work across the political aisle. The…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Chris Humphrey, a Republican Winning in a Democratic District
Rep. Chris Humphrey is a Republican who knows how to win in a Democratic district, something he's been doing since he was elected as a La Grange town…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Don Davis on Legislating from the Center: 'I'm Getting it from the Left, I'm Getting it from the Right'
Senator Don Davis is known for working across the political aisle at the General Assembly which, as he explains, is not easy in these polarizing times. The…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Paul Newton: 'I Am Here to Solve Problems'
Sen. Paul Newton likes to say "good policy makes for good politics". Learn more about the Republican Senate Finance Chair, his career at Duke Energy, and his…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Zack Hawkins: 'If You Get to Know Me, You'll Like Me'
Rep. Zack Hawkins, in his second term at the General Assembly, has already contributed to the passage of two major bills addressing elections and autism. Learn…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Jamie Boles Puts the 'Fun' in Funeral & Legislating
House Justice & Public Safety Appropriations Chair Jamie Boles, who has represented Moore County since 2008, recalls the General Assembly transition from…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
House Democratic Leader Robert Reives & How His Parents Inspired Him to Enter Politics; and House GOP Leader John Bell Guest-Hosts the Podcast
House Democratic Leader Robert Reives talks about how his late mother impressed upon him the responsibility to serve his community with these words: "If it’s…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Vickie Sawyer: Once an Underdog Senate Candidate Who Now Fights for Underdogs as a Senator
Senator Vickie Sawyer shares her journey growing up in a trailer with a mother and father struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues to her…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Special Recess Edition Includes an Interview with Rep. Vernetta Alston and a Vacationing Former President
With the General Assembly on a holiday break this week, the podcast records from Carolina Beach and includes a visit from fellow beach vacationer President…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
House Rules Chairman Destin Hall: "But for My Grandparents and the Grace of God"
Rep. Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) opens up about his childhood and the role his grandparents played in raising him and shaping his life. The powerful House Rules…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Senate Rules Chairman Bill Rabon on Leading & Listening with a Hearing Disability
Senator Bill Rabon talks about his powerful position within the North Carolina Senate as the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, his old-school…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Kirk deViere Talks Politics, Poverty, and Pocket Squares
As the Senate prepares to propose its version of a spending and tax reform plan for the state, Brian and Skye talk with Senator Kirk deViere about his unique…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Todd Johnson: 'Problem Solving is What I Do', and a Budget Cap Agreement Announced
As a budget spending cap deal is announced by Senate and House leaders, Brian and Skye sit down with Senator Todd Johnson, who talks about his practical…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
'Battle Lines Are Being Drawn' and a Conversation with Democratic Senate Whip Jay Chaudhuri
As battle lines are drawn between the House, Senate, and Governor Roy Cooper over a budget cap and a troubled nominee for a cabinet secretary, Brian and Skye…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
House Majority Leader John Bell on Leadership: 'Like Carrying a Wheel Barrow Full of Frogs'
Rep. John Bell talks about his role leading the House Republican Caucus, negotiating with the Senate, and the joy he's found in working with Rep. Robert…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
'The Real World' with Rep. Brian Turner: MTV to the NC House
Rep. Brian Turner talks zipper merging, his early career at MTV, his legislative accomplishments, and why he likes camping when he's in Raleigh. Brian and Skye…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Danny Britt Keeps Winning on Election Day and in the General Assembly
Sen. Danny Britt talks about his 67% Democratic leaning district, his impressive work on criminal justice reform, and how he works across the political aisle…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Crossover Week, a Conversation with Senator Mutjaba Mohammed, and Legislative Maneuvers
Brian and Skye talk about long days and late nights this week at the North Carolina General Assembly, which is running at a frenetic pace as we enter…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
NC Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, the Personification of Do Politics Better
NC Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson talks about how we wants to keep North Carolina's workers safe, his political career and philosophy, and his bipartisan…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Graig Meyer, a 'Loyal Opposition' Leader and the Struggle to Do Politics Better
Rep. Graig Meyer talks about his role in the House Democratic caucus and the barrier it creates to working with his Republican colleagues. The Chapel Hill…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Jason Saine, a "Big Chair" with a Big Sense of Humor
Rep. Jason Saine discusses how he use humor, including frequent quotes from 'The Anchorman', Ice Cube, and 'Ferris Bueller', while legislating. The powerful…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Mike Woodard & the NC Senate's Night Owl Caucus
Senator Mike Woodard talks about the Senate's bipartisan Night Owl Caucus, including their favorite Raleigh hangouts, and his impromptu singing duets with…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Sen. Jim Perry Demystifies the North Carolina Senate
Senator Jim Perry contrasts the Senate with the House, explains how he's never been interested in politics but it was interested in him, and talks about his…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. Allison Dahle and the Power of Conversation
Rep. Allison Dahle, a Wake County Democrat in her second term, talks about the power of talking to those with whom she disagrees and how she defends her…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Rep. John Torbett, the 'Happy Warrior'
Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican, talks about politics, his professional and political career, including his stint as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Governor Cooper and Senator Berger Fist Bump
Governor Cooper and Senator Berger fist bump after a major compromise is found on a school reopening bill, a joint budget meeting turns into a throw-down…
- Do Politics Better Podcast
Our New Podcast! COVID Relief, Motions to Reconsider, Veto Override Strategies, and How To Talk to Legislators About, Well, Sex
The Do Politics Better Podcast debut reviews the week of March 1-5 at the NC General Assembly and discusses the "motion to reconsider" parliamentary procedure…