Rep. Jim Crawford, one of the five House Democrats who broke ranks with their party to help Republicans override the governor’s budget veto this summer, was given a plum assignment today: chairman of the powerful appropriations committee.
House Speaker Thom Tillis announced at the close of the special session that the 14-term representative from Oxford and Rep. Nelson Dollar, a Cary Repbulican, would join Rep. Harold Brubaker, an Asheboro Republican, as co-chairs of the committee.
Rep. Marilyn Avila, a Raleigh Republican, was named chairwoman of the Appropriations Health and Human Services subcommittee.
Crawford was key in the House mustering enough votes to override the governor’s veto of the budget in June. He also crossed party lines on other votes.
The reshuffling comes as a result of vacancies left by the resignations of Rep. Jonathan Rhyne, a Lincolnton Republican, and Rep. Jeff Barnhart, a Republican from Cabarrus County.
