Paul Luebke

Paul Luebke is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the 30th House District, which includes constituents in Durham County. A professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Luebke is serving his ninth term in the state House of Representatives.

Luebke is the Senior Chairman of the House Finance Committee, and as such plays a major part in budget negotiations. He is also chairman of the House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation and Vice-Chairman of the Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform and Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House committees. It is also worth noting that he is a member of the Energy and Energy Efficientcy committee and the Evironmental and Natural Resources committee

Luebke was re-elected to the 30th House district in the 2004 General Assembly election, defeating Libertarian Sean Haugh in the November general election.

While working in theNorth Carolina General Assembly, Luebke has worked hard to passed bills that deal with social issues and financial equality. He has been involved with such bills as the Expanision of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs, Prohibition of Corprual Punishment in Schools, and Modification of School Health Education. Luebke has also been the primary sponsor and spear-headed such bills as the Sudan (Darfur) Divestment Act which determines how state funds will be used in the aid of the Sudan. The Sudan Divestment Act was passed in 2007. Another interesting bill that Luebke has sponsored was the Ban Mobile Phone Use While Driving act which would make it illegal for drivers to use their mobile phone while behind the wheel.

Childhood and Education

Paul Luebke was born on Jan. 18, 1946, in Chicago, Ill., to Paul and Eunice Leubke. His father was a teacher and education administrator and his mother was a homemaker. Luebke moved often during his childhood due to the nature of his father's job. He spent his childhood living in Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis. During his high school years he moved to Ankara, Turkey, where his father worked as an education advisor to the Turkish government for the U.S. Foreign Aid Program.

While living in Turkey he studied at Privatschule der deutschen Botschaft, a German embassy school in Ankara, studying in German. He attended Privatchule der deutschen Botschaft from 1959 until 1962.

After high school, Luebke attended Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey. Before finishing college, he moved back to the United States and began studying at Valparaiso University in Indiana. He earned a bachelor of arts in government from Valparaiso University in 1966. He decided to further his education and later earned a doctorate in political sociology from Columbia University in 1975.

After graduate school, he moved to the Durham area.

Family

Paul Luebke married Carol Gallione, they have two childern. A son, Theo, who is now 29 years old. Their daughter, Emily, is now 24 years old. The Luebke family are Lutheran.

He and his wife Carol reside in Durham.

Career

Paul Luebke taught sociology at Tougaloo College, a historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi from 1971 to 1975. After moving back to North Carolina, he taught sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1975 to 1976. Starting in 1976, Luebke began teaching socialogy at UNC Greensboro. He gained tenure there in 1982 and has been a Professor of Socialogy ever since, specializing in political sociology.

He is a member of the sociology faculty at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, specializing in political sociology.

He served on the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority from 1987 until 1991. He has served as a board member of the N.C. Consumers Council as well. In 1990, he was elected to the state House of Representatives in Durham's District 23, which then had three members.

He has been a reformer that has opposed corporate incentives and advocated for closing tax loopholes. Luebke is highly regarded by his colleages and in recent years has been a very active member of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Accomplishments

Due to Representative Luebke’s work in leading the Sudan (Darfur) Divestment Act, the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina awarded him it International Human Rights award for 2007. According to a colleague, “Often (Leubke) has been the lone voice on matters of fairness and constitutional protections that should be accorded to everyone in this country.”

Luebke is also the author of two books about North Carolina politics: "Tar Heel Politics: Myths and Realities" (1990) and "Tar Heel Politics 2000" (1998). [http://www.mindspring.com/~luebke/ Representative Paul Luebke: NC House Democrat] . Personal web site. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.]

References

* http://www.mindspring.com/~luebke/
* http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?bPrintable=true&sChamber=H&nUserID=63
* http://bullcityblue.net/2007/10/19/paul-luebke-to-receive-human-rights-award/

External links

* Bull City Blue (October 19, 2007), [http://bullcityblue.net/2007/10/19/paul-luebke-to-receive-human-rights-award/ "Paul Luebke To Receive Human Rights Award"] . Bullcityblue.net. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
* NC General Assembly, [http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?bPrintable=true&sChamber=H&nUserID=63/ "North Carolina General Assembly - Representative Paul Luebke (Democrat, 2007-2008 Session)"] . ncleg.net. Retrieved on 2008-01-01