Roger West (North Carolina politician)

{{about||the member of the Florida House of Representatives|Roger West (Florida politician)|the United States federal judge|Roger Blake West}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Roger West

| image = RWest.jpg

| imagesize =

| office = Member of the
North Carolina House of Representatives

| constituency = 53rd District (2000-2003)
120th District (2003-2017){{cite web|url=http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=H&nUserID=267|title=Representative Roger West (Republican, 2011-2012 Session)|publisher=North Carolina General Assembly|accessdate=19 July 2012}}

| term_start = May 5, 2000

| term_end = January 1, 2017

| predecessor = James C. Carpenter[ftp://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/data/ElectResults/1998_11_03/19981103_results_NC_House_53.pdf]{{dead link|date=October 2019}}

| successor = Kevin Corbin

| birth_name = {{birth date and age|1948|11|1}}

| birth_date = Murphy, North Carolina{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=znEkAQAAIAAJ&q=Thomas+Roger+West+north+carolina+born |title=North Carolina Manual ... - North Carolina. Secretary of State - Google Books |year=2003 |accessdate=2019-10-04}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality =

| spouse = Judy{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/northcarolinaman20032004nort/page/568/mode/2up|title = North Carolina manual [serial]}}

| party = Republican

| relations =

| children = 2{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/northcarolinaman20032004nort/page/568/mode/2up|title = North Carolina manual [serial]}}

| residence = Marble, North Carolina

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Owner of West Construction Inc.{{cite web |url=http://rogerwestforhouse.com/biography.html |title=Roger West for House Biography |publisher=Rogerwestforhouse.com |accessdate=2012-07-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130201123037/http://rogerwestforhouse.com/biography.html |archivedate=2013-02-01 }}

| profession =

| signature =

| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

| branch = {{flag|United States Navy}}

| serviceyears = 1968–1971 Active Duty

| rank =

| website = [http://rogerwestforhouse.com/index.html Roger West for House]

}}

Thomas Roger West (born November 1, 1948) is a former Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives representing the state's 120th district, including constituents in Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties. A contractor from Marble, North Carolina, West served 8.5 term in the state House.

Possum drop law

Representative West represented Brasstown, North Carolina, which held an annual "Possum Drop"{{citation|url=http://www.clayscorner.com/new-years-eve.shtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724053414/http://www.clayscorner.com/new-years-eve.shtml|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 24, 2012|title=New Years Eve Lowering of the Opossum}} on New Year's Eve, which involved capturing a wild opossum, enclosing it in a clear plastic box, suspending it high in the air, and lowering it to the ground with the countdown to midnight. During the suspension and lowering, fireworks are set off, muskets are fired, crowds of people scream, and loud music is played.{{citation|url=http://www.peta.org/blog/peta-files-lawsuit-stop-opossum-drop/|title=PETA Files Lawsuit to Stop Opossum Drop|date=30 October 2013}} The possum is later released. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a lawsuit in October 2013 attempting to outlaw the practice, claiming it makes it likely that the possum will die from stress-related ailments within days or weeks.{{citation|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/27/nation/la-na-nn-north-carolina-possum-drop-20131226|title='Possum drop' to ring in new year in North Carolina mountain town}}

West was the sponsor of a law in the North Carolina House that exempts opossums from state wildlife laws from Dec. 26, 2014 to Jan. 2, 2015 in Clay County, where the drop is held.{{citation|url=http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2013&BillID=H1131|title=Clay County Opossum Exclusion/Wildlife Laws.}} West jokingly noted when asked by another committee member that the marsupial community was in support of the bill. Its consideration was met with some joking by committee members and passed easily.{{cite web|url=http://www.wral.com/house-grants-possum-drop-loophole-from-wildlife-regs/13678716/ |title=House grants Possum Drop loophole from wildlife regs |date= 27 May 2014|accessdate=2014-05-28}}

References

External links

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 53rd district|years=2000–2003}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 120th district|years=2003–2017}}

Category:Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives

Category:Living people

Category:1948 births

Category:People from Murphy, North Carolina

Category:20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly

Category:21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly