Under the Dome blog

Bill aims to reduce paperwork for small businesses

francoordonez — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:45:30 -0400

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan introduced a bill today that would cut down on the paperwork small business must complete in order to apply for federal grants and contracts.

The Greensboro Democrat says the Small Business Common Application Act would encourage small businesses to seek new business opportunities they'd otherwise avoid because of the paperwork hassle. According to a 2010 study from the SBA Office of Advocacy, it costs small businesses with less than 20 employees more than $10,500 per employee to comply with federal regulations.

Should N.C. death row inmates be allowed to watch TV?

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:20:46 -0400

The House Rules committee voted Wednesday to introduce legislature that would ban inmates on death row from watching television.

The bill is a reaction to a convicted murderer’s letter to The Gaston Gazette in January in which he bragged about his great life on death row.

Former candidate for governor returns as lobbyist

lbonner — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:31 -0400

Patrick Ballantine, a former GOP candidate for governor, has returned to Raleigh as a lobbyist.

Ballantine, who lost to former Gov. Mike Easley in 2004, is lobbying for aluminum giant Alcoa, Lorillard Tobacco, Universal Leaf Tobacco and a group called Advocates for Free Commerce, as clients in his new firm Ballantine Co.

Top Obama aides in Raleigh this week

robchristensen — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:03:16 -0400

Two of the top officials in the Obama campaign were in Raleigh Monday raising money and organizing at events that targeted women.

Deputy campaign managers Julianna Smoot and Stephanie Cutter held a series of meetings and then held a major state-wide grassroots event in the evening in downtown Raleigh.

Car inspection lobby kills bill to end checks on new cars

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:47:15 -0400

Remember that proposal from House Republicans to stop making new-car owners get safety and emissions inspections until the cars were more than three years old? Forget it.

As has happened in the past when legislators tried to ease North Carolina’s inspection requirements, the new proposal was killed today after a lot of phone-calling and letter-writing by garage owners who make their living from car inspections. Read more on this bill and get the latest on other transportation legislation moving at the statehouse.

Broyhill, Gardner, Holshouser and Martin to fete McCrory

robchristensen — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:44:32 -0400

Pat McCrory will be blessed by the Tar Heel Republican establishment next week at a Greensboro fund raiser attended by the “Four Jims” of GOP politics.

Laying on of the hands will be Jim Broyhill, a former congressman and former senator; Jim Gardner, a former lieutenant governor, congressman and three-time gubernatorial candidate; Jim Holshouser, a former governor, and Jim Martin, a former governor and former congressman.

Video: Loud pots and pans protests greets lawmakers

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:26:50 -0400

The boisterous clanking of wooden spoons on pots and pans could be heard for several blocks from the Legislative Building as the legislature convened for its first day of its short session.

House eugenics bill gives $50,000 to victims

lbonner — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:05:21 -0400

A House bill introduced Wednesday would offer $50,000 to people ordered sterilized under the authority of the state Eugenics Board.

The board authorized thousands of sterilizations from 1933 to 1974. Rep. Larry Womble, a Winston-Salem Democrat, has been working for years for victim compensation. House Speaker Thom Tillis took up the cause last year.

Defense rests in John Edwards trial

jbfrank — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:45 -0400

John Edwards' defense team rested Wednesday without calling the two-time Democratic presidential candidate or his one-time mistress to the witness stand, a sign of confidence after presenting little more than two days of testimony and evidence.

The defense called a series of witnesses aimed at shifting the jury's focus from the lurid details of a political sex scandal to the legal question of whether the Edwards' actions violated federal campaign finance laws. Read more from the trial here.

Bill moves legalize natural gas drilling through fracking

jbfrank — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:20:52 -0400

The state’s debate over fracking resumed Wednesday with the advance of a bill that would legalize the natural gas mining method within two years in this state, giving agency officials until 2014 to come up with provisions to protect the public health and the environment.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Bob Rucho of Mecklenburg County, is controversial even within the Republican-dominated legislature. It will compete for votes against a more moderate approach expected from Sen. Mitch Gillespie, a McDowell County Republican who favors greater public safeguards. Read more on the debate from the legislature here.

Presidential race in N.C. tightens, as Romney gains ground

robchristensen — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:03:14 -0400

The presidential campaign in North Carolina is a dead heat, according to a new survey.

President Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by a statistically insignificant margin of 48-47 percent, according to a survey released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh based firmed with Democratic leanings.

Virginia governor to stump for McCrory on Thursday

robchristensen — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:19:13 -0400

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will stump for GOP gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory in Charlotte on Thursday, touring a Coca-Cola bottling facility.

McDonnell is chairman of the Republican Governors Association which began a $865,000 TV ad campaign on Tuesday tying Democrat Walter Dalton to Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue.

Voter fraud video gets checked, James O'Keefe responds to N.C. elections chief

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:58:18 -0400

UPDATED: For those following the allegations of voter fraud purported in a new video from James O'Keefe's Project Veritas, here's a few more details.

Crossroads SuperPAC to begin $1 million anti-Obama TV campaign in NC

robchristensen — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:19:07 -0400

Crossroads GPS announced that it will begin a $1.1 million TV advertising campaign in North Carolina beginning Thursday that criticizes President Barack Obama's record on the economy, health care and the national debt.

Charles Thomas opens government consulting firm after affair forced resignation

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:58:07 -0400

UPDATED: The disgraced former chief of staff to House Speaker Thom Tillis is launching a government relations firm that promises "access to the best lobbyists in the industry."

Charles Thomas, a former Republican state lawmaker, resigned in April after being questioned by The News & Observer about a romantic relationship with a lobbyists for the N.C. Homebuilders Association.

Morning Roundup: N.C. lawmakers plan speedy start to session

John_Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:14:45 -0400

Legislators get back to making laws Wednesday with a running start on some of the state’s most controversial issues.

House budget writers are preparing to present their spending plans to the public after weeks of behind-the-scenes work. Onshore drilling for natural gas will move quickly off the blocks and will face votes over the first few weeks. A plan to close a Medicaid budget shortfall also will see early action. A Senate committee on Wednesday will debate a bill allowing live poker, blackjack and other table games at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ casino. Get a legislative preview here.

Elections chief expresses skepticism about voter fraud video, pledges inquiry

John_Frank — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:23:45 -0400

A conservative filmmaker known for exposing ACORN debuted a new video Tuesday that claims to uncover voter fraud in North Carolina.

James O'Keefe's Project Veritas put a 10-minute video on YouTube -- which uses hidden cameras and people posing as others -- that purports to identify two non-citizens and a dead man still on the voter rolls. It also digs into the vote on the constitutional marriage amendment by airing unflattering interviews with UNC-Chapel Hill officials and anti-amendment campaign supporters.

Conservative group offers lawmakers solution to noise at legislative protest

John_Frank — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:09:42 -0400

Americans for Prosperity is offering a solution to lawmakers as protesters plan to descend on the statehouse Wednesday, banging pots and pans to make the opening of the session.

Republican McCrory holds 6-point edge against Dalton in governor's race

John_Frank — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:35:01 -0400

A new poll shows the North Carolina governor's race is much closer than expected with Republican Pat McCrory holding a 6-point edge against Democratic rival Walter Dalton.

The survey released Tuesday is the first of the general election and shows Dalton moving closer to erase a double-digit deficit from two months ago.

RGA spends big money to attack Dalton in first TV ad of governor's race

John_Frank — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:17 -0400

UPDATED: The Republican Governors Association launched a TV ad in the governor's race Tuesday seeking to hit Walter Dalton at his weakest point, just after a primary battle that forced him to spend most of his small campaign coffer.

Morning Roundup: Cate Edwards may testify Tuesday for father's defense

John_Frank — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:31:21 -0400

On Tuesday, Cate Edwards, the 30-year-old daughter of the one-time Democratic presidential hopeful, is on the list of possible witnesses in the John Edwards trial. A Harvard law school graduate who’s married now, living in Washington, D.C. and running her late mother’s foundation, Cate Edwards has been in the courtroom for most of the testimony. She occasionally leans in to discuss legal points with her father.

N.C. Republican hopeful Scott Keadle regrets comments on Obama’s birthplace

francoordonez — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:44:08 -0400

As his competition endured criticism for questioning President Barack Obama’s birthplace, congressional candidate Scott Keadle of North Carolina took the high road last week and said he hadn’t spent “two seconds of my life thinking” about Obama’s birthplace.

But that’s not what Keadle told a tea party group last month in Rowan County, N.C., during a heated primary race for the Republican nomination for North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District. Keadle, who’s now in a two-man runoff July 17 with former congressional chief of staff Richard Hudson, told the Rowan County Tea Party Patriots in April that he’d demand an investigation into the president’s eligibility, whatever the personal costs.

Personnel file: Dalton's campaign gets a new mouthpiece

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:01:27 -0400

Walter Dalton's campaign recently switch press wranglers, adding Schorr Johnson, a former communications director from the lieutenant governor's office, to the team.

Johnson, a former N.C. Democratic Party spokesman, will serve as communications director for the campaign. He fills the void left by Pearse Edwards, who returned to his private consulting firm in Greensboro. Edwards said he promised to work through the primary and planned all along to leave after it was completed.

Marlowe Foster seeks runoff in Democratic labor commissioner race

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:55:21 -0400

The second-place finisher in the Democratic labor commissioner primary is asking for a runoff election.

With the formal request, Marlowe Foster will challenge John C. Brooks, the top vote-getter who is seeking a re-election to his former post. Brooks served from 1977 to 1993 as the state's labor commissioner. The three-way May primary didn't allow a candidate to receive more than 40 percent and win outright.

Dalton camp says McCrory accepts debate; McCrory camp suggests otherwise

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:24:54 -0400

UPDATED: Walter Dalton's campaign issued a statement thanking GOP opponent Pat McCrory for accepting the proposal for eight town hall debates across the state.

David Parker earns a spot in N.C. Democrats' (fictional) hall of fame

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:05:22 -0400

A rendering from Charlotte Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers about Party Chairman David Parker.

Fake Gov. Perdue apologizes to Miss. governor -- real Perdue did not

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:51:11 -0400

UPDATED: So news broke this afternoon that Gov. Bev Perdue issued an apology to Mississippi's governor for a comment she made last week that drew rebuke. Perdue told a TV reporter that the passage of the constitutional amendment on marriage makes North Carolina "look like Mississippi."

Democrats ask GOP legislative leaders to review second floor rule

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:57:58 -0400

Democratic legislative leaders are asking their GOP counterparts to review a statehouse rule that bans visitors from the second floor where the legislative chambers are located.

Rep. Joe Hackney and Sen. Martin Nesbitt believe House Speaker Thom Tillis' office incorrectly used the rule to evict protesters in February. (For more on the rule, click here.)

The campaign North Carolina has been waiting to see

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:43:15 -0400

Get a glimpse at the campaign we've all been waiting for.

Actors Will Ferrell and Wilkesboro native Zach Galifianakis star in the movie "The Campaign" about a North Carolina congressional race. Check out the trailer above. The movie debuts Aug. 10.

Gov. Perdue puts Democratic Party mess at Walter Dalton's feet

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:19:52 -0400

Gov. Bev Perdue is reacting to the about-fact at the N.C. Democratic Party on Saturday after Chairman David Parker resigned but then triumphantly reclaimed his post.

Perdue essentially puts the mess in Democratic gubernatorial nominee Walter Dalton's lap now. “I’m focused on investing in education and passing my other budget priorities," she said in a statement. "Walter Dalton is the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, and I’ll support him in however he wants to handle the matter."

Congresman Mike McIntyre is one interesting man

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:03:23 -0400

A Roll Call piece from Capitol Hill looks at N.C. Congressman Mike McIntyre, who is a renaissance man, of sorts. The paper says the Democrat "might be fast becoming the most interesting man in Congress."

Read here about his black belt prowess, his Shakespeare interest and more. It's a wonder how McIntyre has time for all these pursuits given his tight election battle back home in the 2nd District where he faces state Sen. David Rouzer in November.

Together NC for $1 billion in sales/income tax increases

lbonner — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:46:35 -0400

Together NC, a coalition of more than 100 non profits, businesses, unions and trade associations, proposed $1 billion in sales and state income tax increases to restore job and program cuts.

The proposal goes beyond the 3/4-cent sales tax increase Gov. Bev Perdue proposed last week. Together NC suggested raising the sales tax by one penny and adding an 8.5 percent tax bracket for households earning more than $1 million a year.

Walter Dalton proposes 8 town halls with Pat McCrory before November

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:24:44 -0400

UPDATED: Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton is calling for eight town hall debates with Republican rival Pat McCrory across the state before the November election.

In a Monday press conference in Charlotte, Dalton proposed two debates a month at community colleges across North Carolina. The town hall forums come on top of the traditional debates held in October, he suggests.

Morning Roundup: General Assembly to tackle tense issues in short time

John_Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:30:41 -0400

The General Assembly gavels into session Wednesday with legislative leaders pledging to tackle big issues in a short time frame. The so-called short session is designed to tweak the two-year state budget approved in 2011. But the Republican lawmakers – starting just their second term at the helm of both the House and Senate – want to do much more. On the table are a bevy of controversial issues ranging from drilling for natural gas through fracking to requiring voter identification at the polls.

Former rival endorses Greg Dority in GOP state auditor race

John_Frank — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:15:27 -0400

The third-place finisher in the GOP primary for state auditor, Fern Shubert, has endorsed second-place finisher Greg Dority. He has until Thursday to call for a second primary runoff in July.

Shubert, an accountant, commended Dority for not misleading voters about his qualifications. She noted that that top vote-getter, Wake County school board member Debra Goldman, does not have auditing experience. “I have known Greg for many years and am absolutely convinced that he is far better qualified, by training and temperament, than his primary opponent,” she said in a recent statement.

Clay Aiken: Obama's stance on gay marriage 'pretty much ensures' N.C. loss

John_Frank — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:20:58 -0400

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing Clay Aiken is the first "American Idol" contestant to appear as a guest on CBS's "Face the Nation." Clay, who is also a finalist on the current season of "The Celebrity Apprentice," was in-studio this morning on the Sunday morning news issues program to discuss gay marriage and the passing of North Carolina's constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Notebook: Why do Democratic activists want Parker? Follow the money.

John_Frank — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:19:30 -0400

UPDATED: The way David Parker and his loyalists hoodwinked the state Democratic Party on Saturday left many political observers scratching their heads. The how-did-this-happen question is deftly explored in Rob Christensen's piece today, with some activists saying Parker schemed the rules to make it happen.

Weekend Roundup: Expect costly governor's race, drama at Democratic Party

John_Frank — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:45:18 -0400

The North Carolina governor’s race between Democrat Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory is likely to be a money magnet for outside groups who see it as the GOP’s best chance to pick up a governorship this year.

Both national parties, conservative super PACs, anti-tax groups and labor unions are likely to pour money into North Carolina, the largest state holding a governor’s race in 2012. Some campaign strategists estimate at least $20 million will be spent between now and November. Read the full analysis of the race here.

Parker out, then he's in: Wild day to be a Democrat in N.C.

cjarvis — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:16:11 -0400

David Parker, the besieged state Democratic Party chairman, said this evening that he would remain in his post after the party's ruling committee voted not to accept his resignation, Rob Christensen reports from Greensboro.

In doing so, Parker defied pressure from party leaders from Washington to Raleigh to step aside because of the concern that his handling of sexual harassment accusations by a staffer would damage the party's efforts in the fall.

State board chairman challenges Senate leader Berger

lbonner — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:09:43 -0400

State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison writes in his blog that more school employees will lose their jobs if the state does not replace the $258 million in federal "edu-jobs" money that school districts are using to pay their employees.

Mississippi Lt. Gov. blasts Perdue

francoordonez — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:32:41 -0400

The insulted Mississippi Lt. Governor lashed back at N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue after she told a television reporter Friday that the constitutional amendment on marriage makes North Carolina "look like Mississippi."

North Carolina = Mississippi

lbonner — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:41:05 -0400

Gov. Bev Perdue told a WITN television reporter Friday the constitutional amendment on marriage makes North Carolina "look like Mississippi."

This is probably not part of her business recruitment speech.

Romney blasts Obama on economy in Charlotte

robchristensen — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:55:13 -0400

Making his second Charlotte stop in a month, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized President Obama’s policies on the economy, saying Obama’s big-government approach has slowed the nation’s recovery, Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

“If I become president, I’m going to cut federal spending. I’m going to take some programs and get rid of them,” Romney said in a speech that lasted about 15 minutes on the plant floor at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry.

Attorney: Democratic donor a 'scapegoat' for Perdue campaign's failings

John_Frank — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:31 -0400

A top Democratic donor to Gov. Bev Perdue facing trial for felony charges is a “scapegoat” for the campaign’s failure to properly disclose campaign flights, his defense attorney said Friday.

In a lengthy court hearing, attorney David Rudolf put the blame on the Perdue campaign in an attempt to absolve his client, Trawick “Buzzy” Stubbs, on felony charges of obstruction of justice and causing the filing of false campaign reports.

Stam's Democratic opponent sees an opening

cjarvis — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:48:22 -0400

Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam of Apex is getting the credit and the blame for the same-sex marriage amendment that voters approved Tuesday. Opponents of the amendment singled him out the day after, vowing to work for his defeat.

That might not worry the firmly entrenched Stam, who represents a strongly Republican district and who, as majority leader in the House, controls a substantial amount of campaign money for himself and other candidates.

Judge to consider whether to dismiss charges against two Perdue campaign associates

John_Frank — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:28:14 -0400

A Wake County judge is expected to hear arguments Friday morning in the criminal cases against two former campaign associates of Gov. Bev Perdue.

Attorneys for Trawick "Buzzy" Stubbs and Julia Leigh Sitton are asking the judge to dismiss charges of obstruction of justice and causing the filing of false reports stemming from an campaign finance investigation into the Perdue's 2008 campaign.

Morning Roundup: Mitt Romney visits Charlotte for second time in a month

John_Frank — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:02:29 -0400

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is making his second visit to Charlotte in less than a month as he ramps up operations in what's expected to be a battleground state this fall. Get a preview of his visit here.

ALEC comes to Charlotte to craft model legislation

cjarvis — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:40:52 -0400

The American Legislative Exchange Council will be in Charlotte on Friday for its spring task force meeting, where “model legislation” is considered for promotion in states across the country. ALEC brings together corporate interest and state legislators to craft free-market, conservative bills behind closed doors.

Business group begins running ads calling for less regs

robchristensen — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:45:31 -0400

A business coalition has begun a TV ad campaign in North Carolina pushing for a better business environment through less regulation and lower taxes.

The group, called Job Creators Alliance, began running an ad in the Raleigh-Durham market on Wednesday featuring Martin Marietta executive Steve Zelnak.

And the winner of the Dome election pool is ...

John_Frank — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:30:45 -0400

Tom Jensen is the guru at Public Policy Polling -- so it's probably no surprise he won Dome's election pool.

Jensen guessed four out of five questions correctly. He admitted to guessing in the GOP presidential contest and not using any poll data. The one he missed: the governor's race. He called Walter Dalton by 7 percent. Dalton won 8 percent. (He received partial credit and won with 4 1/2 points.)