VICTORY FOR EASTERN NC: HB 442 IS DEAD 
By Rep. Ed Goodwin, NC House of Representatives

Today, we stood our ground—and won.

House Bill 442, hijacked in the Senate to include a reckless ban on shrimp trawling in inland and nearshore waters, is officially dead. Let me be clear: this was never about the environment. This was about power and politics—about gutting a way of life without understanding it.

Down east, we don’t back down when it comes to defending our people. We’re talking about generations of honest, hard-working North Carolinians—families who have fished these waters for centuries, feeding their communities and supporting our coastal economy. The Senate tried to sink them without so much as a conversation.

But we showed up. United. Loud. Relentless. And we sent a message: you do not trample over Eastern North Carolina.

I thank every single fisherman, advocate, and lawmaker who stood with us. We still have work to do to protect and rebuild our coastal industries, but for today—faith, fight, and freedom won.

God bless our watermen and the communities who support them.
—Rep. Ed Goodwin, R-Chowan
#SaveOurShrimpers #DownEastStrong #NCHouse #DefendNCJobs