RALEIGH – In the days following his death Dec. 28, political, education, business leaders and others across North Carolina paid tribute to former NC Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight:
Gov. Roy Cooper, NC Senate, 1991-2001
North Carolina lost a giant today with the passing of my friend, Senator Marc Basnight. His positive influence on our public universities, transportation, environment and more will be felt for decades.
A man of great power and influence, his humble, common touch made everyone he met feel special, whether pouring them a glass of tea in his restaurant or sharing a pack of nabs at a country store. He believed in North Carolina and its people, and our state is stronger because of him. Our prayers are with Vicki, Caroline and the whole family.1
Dr. William L. Roper, Former Interim President, UNC System; Former CEO, UNC Health Care; Former Dean, UNC School of Medicine
Marc Basnight will long be remembered as one of North Carolina’s great leaders. He was a remarkable combination of small businessman and politician.
But it was as a master builder that he left his mark – in so many areas.
The North Carolina Cancer Hospital, the Biomedical Research Imaging Center, the University Cancer Research Fund, and countless projects across the UNC System – all of these and much more are the legacy of Senator Basnight.
Many millions of North Carolinians are much the better because of his life and work.
Erskine Bowles, President Emeritus, UNC System
Marc was the most impactful political leader I ever worked with.
People who called him uneducated didn’t know him. When I’d go to pitch him on a project for the University, I knew I’d better be prepared for I quickly learned this fellow had done his homework and asked more penetrating questions than any of the specialists I worked with did. When I met him in his apartment I’d see old Economists and magazines everywhere that he had read front to back.
In everything he did, his focus was on how this project would move North Carolina forward, how it would improve the lives and economic opportunities of “the little guy.” If I could clearly and quickly prove it did help the little guy , he was for it ,and if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t get a second chance. This was one smart guy who had done his homework and consistently supported those projects that reflected his values.
There was no one I respected more. I’d leave his office feeling I’d just passed or failed the hardest exam I’d ever taken. And when I got his support, it felt like an honor to have earned it.
For this was one thorough, thoughtful “good ol’ boy“ who loved his state and knew why he was there and who he was there to help. You can see those values reflected in the educational opportunities he made possible in the universities and community colleges throughout our state.
Paul Fulton, Chair, Higher Ed Works; Former Member, UNC Board of Governors; Former President, Sara Lee Corp.
In Senator Marc Basnight, North Carolina lost not only one of its most impactful legislators, but also one of its true visionaries.
Mark looked ahead. He visualized the future. He thought about issues like education, health care and the environment. All are critically important today.
His support for education was highlighted by a $3.1 billion bond issue in 2000, plus strong financial support always. It was a high priority to him.
Health care was highlighted by a first-rate cancer hospital and an unprecedented $50 million annual contribution from the state to cancer research. He was a strong advocate for affordable health care for all North Carolinians.
And he was always conscious of our environment. He created the Clear Water Management Trust Fund to help end pollution in our waterways.
We have missed his leadership. All North Carolinians were touched in some way by the good he did for our state. He helped make North Carolina’s reputation and image what they are today.
It seems they don’t make any Marc Basnights anymore.
NC Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger
Sen. Basnight and the institution of the Senate are in many ways inseparable. He left his mark on the body, and therefore the state, over his nearly two decades of leadership.
Sen. Basnight loved people. I used to hear that he’d stop along the way from the Outer Banks to Raleigh just to speak to strangers and hear what they had to say. He loved people, and they loved him back.
I will always remember the grace with which Sen. Basnight conducted the 2011 transition. He spared no effort and denied no request. He could wage political battle with the best of them, but he always put the institution of the Senate, as a symbol of the people’s representative government, first.
He’s one of a kind, and I will miss him.2
David Rice, Executive Director, Higher Ed Works
One very late night in August 2005, NC Senate leader Marc Basnight and Majority Leader Tony Rand knew they had the votes to enact a state lottery.
With repeated recesses to deliberate privately, Basnight and Rand kept the Senate in session until 5 in the morning. But they decided not to vote on it that particular night.
The reason? Republican Sen. Ham Horton of Forsyth County – an ardent conservative who wanted to vote against the lottery – was absent for a round of chemotherapy.
“I’m not going to do that to Ham,” Basnight said that night.
Basnight and Rand had a collegial relationship with Horton. They ultimately got their way, returning to vote in the lottery the following week.
But they held off early that morning to show bipartisan courtesy to a Senate colleague even though they knew he wouldn’t vote with them.
1 https://governor.nc.gov/news/governor-cooper-statement-passing-former-senate-president-pro-tem-marc-basnight.
2 https://bergerpress.medium.com/sen-berger-statement-on-the-passing-of-sen-marc-basnight-6ee1898044e9.
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