John R. Bell IV explained

John Bell
Office:Majority Leader of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Leader:Tim Moore
Term Start:August 30, 2016
Predecessor:Mike Hager
State House1:North Carolina
District1:10th
Term Start1:January 1, 2013
Predecessor1:Karen Kozel
Birth Name:John Richard Bell IV
Birth Date:18 May 1979
Birth Place:Mount Olive, North Carolina, U.S.
Party:Republican
Spouse:Kelli
Children:1

John Richard Bell IV (born May 18, 1979) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has represented the 10th district (including Wayne, Greene, and Johnston counties) in the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2013.[1] [2]

Early life and education

John Richard Bell, IV is the child of John R. "Ricky" Bell, III, and Cindy Ezzell Bell. He has one sister. His father was a highway maintenance engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.[3] Bell graduated from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, in 2001.[4]

Career

In 2016, Bell was a business development employee for North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union in Goldsboro, North Carolina.[5] He later joined Sentinel Risk Advisors as a client executive.[4]

In January 2016, Bell endorsed Senator Marco Rubio in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.[6]

Bell was elected by the state House Republican Caucus to the position of state House majority whip in 2014,[7] and to the position of majority leader in 2016.[5] Bell was also chairman of the House Regulatory Reform Committee and the House Select Committee on Wildlife Resources.[5]

In the state House, Bell has been a supporter of restricting wind energy development, taking the position that wind farms are a threat to military bases in North Carolina because they could obstruct low-level military training flights.[8] Bell sponsored legislation in 2013 to increase wind-energy regulation,[8] and in 2019 helped negotiate a bill to require the state to consult military commanders as part of the state permitting process for wind farms.[9]

Bell and other General Assembly Republicans have opposed Democratic Governor Roy Cooper on the issue of expanding Medicaid. Cooper and other Democrats support the expansion of Medicaid, and Republicans oppose it.[10]

Bell introduced legislation in 2019 to allow the sale of beer and wine at North Carolina public universities during athletic games.[11] The bill passed later that year, and seven University of North Carolina System institutions took advantage of the law by opting to allow alcohol sales on game days.[12]

Electoral history

2012

Committee assignments

[13]

2021-2022 session

2019-2020 session

2017-2018 session

2015-2016 session

2013-2014 session

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Voter's Self Defense System. Vote Smart. January 30, 2022.
  2. https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/661 Representative John R. Bell, IV (REP)
  3. Web site: John Richard "Ricky" Bell Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information . Tyndall Funeral Home . 10 July 2020 . October 2018.
  4. https://uncw.edu/profiles/bell-john.html Profiles: John Bell
  5. Patrick Gannon, NC House Republicans select new majority leader, News & Observer (August 30, 2016).
  6. Colin Campbell, More NC legislators back Marco Rubio, News & Observer (January 8, 2016).
  7. Lynn Bonner, Tim Moore is state House Republican nominee for speaker, News & Observer (November 23, 2014).
  8. Jay Price, An Effort To Restrict Eastern N.C Wind Farms Appears Dead In the Legislature, WUNC (August 2, 2019).
  9. Lynn Bonner, Wind power ban dropped from wind power legislation, News & Observer (June 26, 2019).
  10. David Ranii & Lynn Bonner, Gov. Roy Cooper wants to expand Medicaid; Republicans vow to fight, News & Observer (January 5, 2017).
  11. Lauren Horsch, Let NC's public universities sell beer and wine at games, state lawmakers say, Charlotte Observer (March 15, 2019).
  12. Kate Murphy, NC State fans buy beer in the stadium to cool down at football season opener, Charlotte Observer (August 31, 2019).
  13. Web site: John Bell (North Carolina. January 30, 2022.