Lorene T. Coates

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Representative Lorene Coates
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 77th House district

Political party	Democratic
Residence	Salisbury, North Carolina
Occupation	Retired

Lorene Thomason Coates is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the U.S. state's seventy-seventh House district, including constituents in Rowan county.^[1]

A retiree from Salisbury, North Carolina, she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has hosted a weekly radio show and for twenty years wrote a newspaper column in the Salisbury Post.^[2]

Coates is currently (2007-2008 Session) serving in her fourth term in the state House. Coates is the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. She is Vice-Chairman of the Public Utilities committee and the Transportation committee. She is a member of the Agriculture; Alcoholic Beverage Control; Appropriations; and the Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs committees.^[1]

On March 30, 2006, she gained distinction by being the first Democratic member of the House to publicly call for House Speaker, and fellow Democrat, Jim Black to step down from his post as Speaker following investigations of his misconduct.^[3] Black later resigned from the House and pleaded guilty to a felony charge of public corruption.^[4]

As of July 11, 2006, she has introduced 127 Bills to the North Carolina General Assembly.

In 2006 she was awarded the Legislator of the Year award from the North Carolina Public Transportation Association.^[5]

In 2007 she announced her support for John Edwards for President.^[6]