Rep. Martin was the legislative speaker at a Stop Global Warming rally today.  He spoke to a large crowd of the need for North Carolina and the United States to lead by example in tackling the problem of global warming.

Along with 119 other members new and old, Rep. Martin was sworn in for his second term in the House of Representatives yesterday.  In an article on the event, the News & Observer commented on the ceremony:

THE TRADITION
Legislators' families and close friends filled the chamber as the lawmakers were sworn in for two-year terms. Rep. Grier Martin, a Raleigh Democrat, had his daughter, Sara, 4, in his arms when it came time for him to stand up.

"District 34: Martin

In one term representing a district that's mostly in North Raleigh (and dips a little inside the Beltline),  Democrat Grier Martin of Raleigh has shown good instincts: He didn't take free meals from lobbyists even before ethics reform was enacted, and he declined the $104-a-day  living allowance for lawmakers even though he could have  claimed it. Martin, a 36-year-old attorney, has been an energetic, imaginative legislator not afraid to break with the  partisan status quo -- he opposed the state lottery -- and  deserves a second term, for which The News & Observer  endorses him.
. . . .
Grier Martin has the kind of progressive ideas of which the General Assembly is in desperate need."

The Independent weekly newspaper endorsed Grier's campaign for re-election:

"First-term Rep. Grier Martin, a Democrat, did himself proud by not voting for the lottery, and by not going along with Speaker Black's method of scrubbing the lottery bill of all grace-saving provisions (it was supposed to have no advertising--remember that one?) by sticking an amended version in the House budget. No wonder, then, that Martin was one of the first in the House to distance himself from Black and to call for serious ethics and campaign-finance reforms. As a freshman, he didn't get 'em all, but he tried. Martin was also singled out by the Conservation Council of N.C.'s political action committee for his hard work for the environment."

Grier was honored with the Pesticide Education Project's "Legislative Leadership Award" today for demonstrating "a commitment to clean water, safe food, and a better future for North Carolina."

The Pesticide Education Project (PestEd) is a non-profit group whose mission is to minimize human and environmental exposure to toxic pesticides.  You can read more about their work here.

Rep. Martin participated in a "Caring For Our Elders" town hall meeting in Raleigh yesterday.  He heard from many attendees concerned about declining care for senior citizens.  While there are many good ideas for improvement, Rep. Martin called for adequate funding to make sure these ideas are implemented.

Read more about it here in the News & Observer.

The School Children's Health Act, (H1502) introduced by Rep. Martin, goes into effect October 1, 2006.  "It’s just common sense,” said Rep. Martin. “You don’t want toxic chemicals in school buildings that can harm kids’ health and make it harder for them to learn. It just so happens that we can reduce the risks from these hazards in a way that’s straightforward and cost-effective, too.”

In a boxing themed wrap-up of the 2005-06 General Assembly, the Charlotte Observer named Grier one of four "Statewide Knock-outs":

"Ringside in Raleigh"

Politics is nothing if not sport. It takes muscle and brains and conditioning. Nowhere are those qualities (or their absence) more obvious than when the members of the N.C. General Assembly enter the ring in Raleigh, dance in circles and throw punches. That dizzying fray makes it pretty easy to tell the heavyweights from the  middleweights and lightweights.
....

For scoring purposes, the heavyweights and knockouts are the ones who won the most rounds. The middleweights are the ones who held their own -- or showed promise. The others are ones who, well, got their feet tangled or went down for the count. Put up your
dukes, strap on your gloves and play along!
....

Statewide knock-outs

Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake: The square-jawed face and gentlemanly manner are familiar. He's D.G. Martin's son, and his diligence in his first term in the House shows public service may be in the genes. His committee assignments, including Appropriations and Education, were important and he gave them the attention they needed."

Amid all the ethics reform talk in the state House, Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat, wants to do something about lawmakers who use campaign contributions for personal use. She has asked that a special House ethics committee take up the issue and, ultimately, recommend a ban on the practice...

Click for story...

As legislative candidates dive into or contemplate campaigns, some veterans will notice that the makeup of their districts have changed since the last election.

Voters move in and out, and newcomers fill the fresh crops of subdivisions. All that movement and growth mean a shift in the political leanings of many legislative districts.

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. . . . in a moldy Executive Mansion.  Click for full story . . . .

"Wake County Democrats needed a dream candidate to go up against a hardworking incumbent Republican in a state House race last fall. In walked Grier Martin, son of a well-known politician and university leader, a family man who missed his daughter's early months because he volunteered to fight terror in Afghanistan." 

Click for rest of story in the News & Observer.