North Carolina on Thursday May 08, 2008

Archive of North Carolina on Thursday May 08, 2008

At-risk gubernatorial seats increase
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

After a pair of hard-fought primaries, North Carolina joins Missouri, Washington and Indiana on Out There's list of states where partisan control of the governorship could flip this fall.
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McCrory, Perdue signal new campaign, new rules
By Mark Johnson, The Charlotte Observer (registration)
Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican nominee for governor, offered a preview Wednesday of the campaign that lies ahead. Without mentioning her name, he jabbed at Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, the Democratic nominee, as "old style," inaccessible, overpromising and divisive.
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Easley to seek poultry changes
By Ames Alexander, The Charlotte Observer (registration)
Gov. Mike Easley will ask lawmakers next week for additional money, staff and authority to determine how often North Carolina's poultry workers are hurt on the job and whether companies are treating them humanely.
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AG - Close colleges to illegal aliens
By Kristin Collins , The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Public colleges in North Carolina should not admit illegal immigrants as students, the state Attorney General's Office advised in a letter released Wednesday.
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N.C. shatters voter turnout record
By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)
North Carolina's primary has shattered voter turnout records. More than 2.1 million people cast a ballot in Tuesday's election, and most voted in the Democratic primary that featured the historic race for the White House.
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Perdue, McCrory get set for Nov.
By Benjamin Niolet, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Not even 12 hours had passed after their gubernatorial primary victories before Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and Republican Mayor Pat McCrory of Charlotte started the long race to the November election.
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N.C.'s April tax collections were higher than expected
By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)
North Carolina has received encouraging news from the all-important April tax collections.
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Governor election pits two old pros
By James Romoser, The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)
Beverly Perdue and Pat McCrory, the winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries for governor, are very good at winning elections.
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Primary prods a few superdelegates
By Rob Christensen, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Barack Obama's decisive victory Tuesday in North Carolina's Democratic presidential primary began to loosen the logjam of uncommitted Tar Heel superdelegates, with two supporting Obama and one committing to Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
(Updated 9:30 a.m EST, May 8, 2008)

When an elderly person with dementia is lost, eight states can trigger an alert to let the community know. Proposals in Congress would expand the successful missing persons program to all 50 states.
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Virginia superdelegate Del. McClellan switches from Clinton to Obama
By Chelyen Davis, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg)
A Virginia Democratic superdelegate yesterday switched her support from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama, saying it seems unlikely that Clinton can catch up with Obama for the presidential nomination.
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Recycling up 6 percent
By Staff Reporters, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Local governments across the state recycled a record amount last year, according to the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
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4 booted from House
By Joedy McCreary, The Associated Press, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
At least four state House members apparently won't be back next year after losing primary elections Tuesday.
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Labor post might take runoff
By Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Determining who is the Democratic nominee for state labor commissioner could take more than a month and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
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State budget surplus likely to top estimates
By Dan Kane, Benjamin Niolet and Matthew Eisley, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
State lawmakers may have a fatter budget surplus than they originally thought, though it remains far less than in previous years.
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AG -- Close colleges to illegal aliens
By Kristin Collins, The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)
Public colleges in North Carolina should not admit illegal immigrants as students, the state Attorney General's Office advised in a letter released Wednesday.
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Legislature looks at closing Castle Hayne agriculture research facility
By Tyra M. Vaughn, Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.)
CASTLE HAYNE, N.C. -- When the Castle Hayne Horticultural Crops Research Station was established more than 60 years ago, there wasn't much surrounding the facility except for farms and fields.
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Will states fix 2012 primary process?
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

While voters in Indiana and North Carolina go to the polls today (May 6) to help Democrats pick Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama as their nominee and Republicans rally behind John McCain, party insiders and state election officials are in informal talks to improve the presidential nominating contests for 2012 and beyond.
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Oh say, is that banner made in the U.S.A.?
By Kim Mendelsohn, Special to Stateline.org
Lawmakers in 10 states have taken steps to require that American flags bought with state funds be manufactured in this country. While not all the legislation has passed, one state’s new law even bans the sale of foreign-made American flags in that state.
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WORTH NOTING: Voters' guide promotes phone sex
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer
An Oregon voters’ guide lists a very wrong number. California’s governor insults rural legislators. And Pennsylvania considers selling wine in vending machines. In case you missed those stories this week, “Worth Noting” fills you in.
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Parents turn to states for autism help
By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer
(UPDATED 4 p.m. EDT, Thursday May 1) One of the toughest problems facing autism patients, their families and policymakers is paying for treatment. Families are increasingly relying on states to help them cope with the financial, medical and educational needs.

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Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned
By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Death-penalty supporters are raising questions about the fairness of state commissions charged with studying how capital punishment is carried out in Maryland and Tennessee, claiming the panels will issue reports that ignore their views.
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Seeds of social issues dot 2008 elections
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

With a sagging economy and a divisive war occupying Americans’ minds, will social issues be overshadowed in state elections in 2008?
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Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
As some states tumble into what they fear is a recession, state lawmakers from across the country are pushing Congress for relief from impending federal rules that would force states to pick up more Medicaid costs and spend billions to make drivers’ licenses more secure.
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With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead
By Daniel C. Vock and John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writers
A decision Monday (April 28) by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Indiana demand photo identification from voters paves the way for other states to do the same during November’s presidential election, experts say.
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More states offer choice in long-term care
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
More states are poised to offer a successful alternative to traditional Medicaid plans that allows elders and the disabled to avoid moving to a nursing facility by hiring friends, neighbors or family members to look after them in their own homes.
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WORTH NOTING: Phantom voter stalks Ala. State House
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
An Alabama lawmaker says someone’s been using his voting machine. Florida’s House Speaker locks the doors and turns off Internet access to make legislators pay attention. And Mayberry’s Sheriff Taylor endorses a North Carolina gubernatorial candidate. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.
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Will Democrats grow legislative edge in '08?
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

For the past several election cycles, the Democrats have been on a roll in legislative elections. This year, the party is well-positioned to hold its majority of chambers — but greatly expanding Democratic control may not be in the cards.

'Purple' states turn a little more 'blue'
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

The national polls point to a tight presidential race in November. But Democrats have a bit more to cheer about than Republicans do, regardless of who wins the Democratic primary, according to the latest state-by-state electoral-vote projections by “Out There.”
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Governors pitch ambitious programs
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Billion-dollar deficits in California, New York and Arizona haven’t stopped governors there and elsewhere from proposing big-ticket items for 2008. Stateline.org looks at proposals from governors’ 2008 "state of the state" speeches and provides an exclusive summary of all the addresses so far.

Commentary: Govs beat White House hopefuls as agents of change
By Gene Gibbons, Stateline.org Executive Editor

This column was published simultaneously by The Politico.

It took a while for most of the presidential candidates to figure out that voters want “change” and action on a variety of issues that affect their lives. They might have gotten it sooner if they had noticed the way that many states, led by innovative governors, are moving forward in areas like health care, immigration and global warming.
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AG contests attract serious attention
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Once, races for state attorney general were quiet affairs. No longer. Attorneys general can wield enormous power in such areas as consumer protection and criminal prosecutions – and can use the job to vault into higher office. Here's how this year's 10 state races for attorney general are shaping up.
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Iraq casts shadow on 2008 state races
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Not a single governor or state legislator wields authority over the conduct of the Iraq War, yet a broad range of party strategists and political analysts agree that state races in 2008 will be shaped, mostly indirectly, by public attitudes towards that conflict. Unless there’s a sea change in public opinion, that’s bad news for Republicans.
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WORTH NOTING: Illinois gov runs up travel tab
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s commuting costs start to add up. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds settles a dispute with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a cranky game warden. California corrections officials install “flushometers” to control wasteful toilet flushing in prisons. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.
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