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Morning Memo: Expect a late night at legislature as bills fly fast

TODAY AT THE STATEHOUSE: The action starts early Tuesday and will likely stretch past 10 p.m. again. The House and Senate plan to convene a skeletal session just before 10 a.m. to read in committee reports, then recess until 2 p.m. House Speaker Thom Tillis said the session will go until 5:15 p.m. or so before a dinner recess for committee meetings. The chamber will reconvene at 7 p.m. and go late. The Senate isn't expected to stay as long but its calendar is getting crowded. Gov. Pat McCrory lists no public events.

McCRORY'S OFFICE WON'T RELEASE DAILY SCHEDULE ANYMORE: The governor's Communications Director Kim Genardo is changing the office's policy of releasing a daily calendar. Genardo said if there is no event scheduled, she won't send out a notice stating as much, meaning some days will have no notice to the governor's schedule. McCrory pledged to release a daily schedule during the gubernatorial campaign as he bashed his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, for taking a "secret" trip to Pennsylvania to study fracking rigs. Republicans jumped on McCrory's Democratic opponent for not pledging to do the same. “Everyone knew where I was as mayor,” McCrory said a year ago. “My records were open."

***A busy week means lots of news below in the Dome Morning Memo. Send more news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com. ****

AFP poll finds support for broad tax changes

Americans for Prosperity has released a poll showing broad support in North Carolina for tax reform.

The survey, conducted by the Tarrance Group of Alexandria, found that 68 percent of voters says the state's tax system needs to be reformed.

The poll found that 49 percent favor a tax proposal that lowers personal and corporate income taxes to a flat 5 percent, lowers the sales tax rate while broadening it to include services not now taxes, and eliminating all state income tax deductions.

The spin: "North Carolinians recognize that it's time to reform our outdated, depression-era tax code," said Dallas Woodhouse, state AFP director.

The poll of 500 registered likely voters was conducted April 8-10 and had a margin of error of plus or minus April 8-10.

Grover Norquist to NC to promote tax changes

Fox News regular Grover Norquist will headline a rally on the lawn behind the Legislative Building on May 16 to promote changes in the state tax code.

Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, is working with Americans for Prosperity in promoting tax changes. His North Carolina trip will include stops in Greensboro, Huntersville and Kings Mountain over several days. The tour is part of AFP's campaign to promote a new tax code that AFP says will "tax less, tax fair, and tax simple."

State Senate leader Phil Berger released a plan Tuesday that puts a sales tax on more goods and services -such as prescription drugs, food, doctors' and lawyers' bills - and gradually cuts personal and corporate income taxes.

Dallas Woodhouse, AFP North Carolina state director, said his group has not yet endorsed the Senate plan, but probably will.

Morning Memo: More arrests expected at legislature, McCrory to Texas

MORE ARRESTS EXPECTED AT LEGISLATURE: Activists fighting the Republican legislative agenda say they will return to the Legislative Building on Monday and more plan to be arrested. The civil disobiendence, led by the N.C. NAACP and other groups, is design to raise the public's awareness of the policies GOP-lawmakers are pushing this session. A demonstration a week ago led to 17 arrests.

McCRORY TO TOUT DRILLING IN TEXAS: From AP -- Gov. Pat McCrory is visiting an offshore energy trade conference in Texas to try to help build momentum for drilling off the coast of North Carolina and other states. McCrory says he'll participate Monday in a panel discussion with other governors at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. McCrory says the energy industry could create thousands of jobs and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and generate state revenues.

***Thanks for reading the Dome Morning Memo. More North Carolina politics below. Send tips and news to dome@newsobserver.com. ***

Hager's bill to end state's renewables standard refuses to die

Rep. Mike Hager's bill to rid the state of its renewables energy mandate refuses to die.

The bill was voted down in Hager's own committee last week 18-13, but he's got it scheduled to be taken up again in the House Committee on Public Utilities and Energy on Wednesday.

Hager was unavailable for comment but Dallas Woodhouse, North Carolina director for the Arlington, Va.-based Americans for Prosperity, which has supported Hager's bill, offered his opinion: “While there was not the right mix in the committee on that day, some of them may need more education.”

That presumably includes Rep. Tim Moore of Cleveland County, chair of the House Rules Committee; Conference Leader Ruth Samuelson of Mecklenburg County; and Wake County’s Nelson Dollar, senior chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. All three voted against the bill. Read the full story here.

Americans for Prosperity will spend $500,000 on tax code campaign

Americans for Prosperity will spend $500,000 on a campaign to promote a new state tax code, the organization announced Tuesday.

AFP, a political advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers, has been prominent in issues advertising on the state and national levels. In North Carolina, it ran an ad campaign supporting the legislative Republicans' budget.

Legislators have not presented a specific tax proposal, but they've discussed taxing more services such as hair cuts and lawyers' fees, while eliminating or reducing corporate and personal income taxes.

About a dozen people at the news conference sported green football jerseys with the campaign slogan "back in the game," meaning that the state is competing effectively for jobs.

AFP has spent about $500,000 in Indiana on a campaign supporting tax code restructuring, said AFP national president Tim Phillips, who was in Raleigh on Tuesday.

"One of our goals is to let legislators know they will have someone who will have their back if they just do the right thing," Phillips said.

The ads will run in specific districts and identify legislators by name. In a later phase of the campaign, AFP will run ads in national and international publications promoting the state, said Dallas Woodhouse, AFP state director.

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who spoke at the news conference, said he had not talked in detail with AFP about more extensive participation in its campaign, but said he would be willing to participate in its community meetings and appear in ads.

Americans for Prosperity to announce campaign for new tax code

Americans for Prosperity is preparing a campaign to sell the public on the legislature's plan to change the tax code.

AFP representatives and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest will announce the effort at a Tuesday news conference, said AFP state executive director Dallas Woodhouse. The legislature has not presented a detailed plan, though legislators have outlined general principles.

"Part of our job is to encourage them," to "go big" and "go bold," Woodhouse said. "The opportunity for reform will never be better than it is right now," he said.

AFP will fuel the campaign with a "significant amount of money," Woodhouse said, with the effort to include community meetings and advertising.

A role for Forest has not been defined, Woodhouse said, but "I do think he is going to agree to help us out on that. Right now, it's a broad vision rather than specific actions."

Bill ending renewable energy development law heads to showdown

UPDATED

Forces are lining up for Wednesday’s two-hour hearing on Rep. Mike Hager’s bill that would end the state’s requirement that power companies use renewable energy and promote energy conservation. The Rutherfordton Republican’s bill, HB298, sets up a major showdown -- with national interest -- between environmentalists and those who oppose public support to bolster alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar.

For Koch-backed group, sequestration is not a bad word

The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity this week are visiting congressional district offices to urge lawmakers to support spending cuts.The AFP, a conservative advocacy group, is pressuring congress to not vote to prevent the automatic sequestration spending cuts scheduled to take place in several weeks.

“North Carolina taxpayers are tired of the excuses – it's time for Congress cut cut spending and we intend to hold our senators and representatives accountable,” said Dallas Woodhouse, the group's state director.

The group said it plans office visits, door knocks and town hall meetings across the state.

It is scheduled to visit the offices of Rep. G.K Butterfield's office in Wilson and Sen. Kay Hagan's office in Greenville, and Rep. Walter Jones' office in Greenville today. On Thursday, it will visit Sen. Richard Bur's Wilmington office and Rep. Mike McIntyre's Leland office.

Conservative group lists ambitious agenda for GOP legislature

Americans for Prosperity is pushing for a full slate of what it calls "free market" policies in the upcoming legislative session -- including a constitutional amendment to limit government spending.

Dallas Woodhouse, the state director for the conservative group, said he expects much of the agenda to win approval given the supermajority Republican legislature -- one he views as more conservative than the previous session under GOP control. "We like our options better than when (Democrats where in control), there's no doubt about it," he said.

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