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Morning Memo: Arrests near 500, Democrats debut anti-Tillis website

TOTAL ARRESTS NEAR 500: Eighty-four demonstrators were arrested by the N.C. General Assembly police on Monday, bringing the total since April 29 to more than 480. Holly Jordan, 29, a teacher at Hillside High School in Durham, said she decided to get arrested on Monday because she was thoroughly upset with the education policies and budgets proposed. She knew that some of the Republicans had described their naysayers as “aging hippies” and “outsiders” who considered it “en vogue” to get arrested.

TODAY AT THE STATEHOUSE: The Senate will take a final vote on its tax plan, and send it to the House. The two chambers remain far apart on how to cut taxes. The House will consider Gov. Pat McCrory's transportation funding bill. In committees, House lawmakers will consider a bill to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on certain roads and a bill requiring cursive -- which is likely to be remade entirely at the last minute, given a similar bill passed earlier this session. Senate lawmakers will meet in committees to consider a bill requiring background checks on those who receive some public assistance and another measure to roll back energy efficiency regulations on building to 2009 levels.

Gov. Pat McCrory will visit another rotary club, this time in Winston-Salem, before meeting with unidentified business leaders in a private meeting at Womble Carlyle, a law firm that also has a lobbying practice.

***Below in the Dome Morning Memo -- U.S. Senate race news, remember Jim Holshouser and a legislative roundup.***

Garrett Perdue leaves Womble

Garrett Perdue, the son of former Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, has left Womble Caryle, the state's largest law firm.

Perdue joined Womble in January 2009, a month after his mother was elected governor. He was recruited into the firm by former Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt, to work in economic development.

The hiring raised some eyebrows because of the potential for conflict of interest.

Perdue, an attorney who had previously worked as an associate at Womble, stayed at Womble through his mother's four-year term and during the first four months of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's administration.

He left in April to become managing director of Perdue Global Market Networks Inc.

Morning Memo: Pray-in targets lawmakers, Foxx to join Obama administration

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AT LEGISLATURE: Clergy and students will participate in an act of civil disobedience Monday at the Legislative Building "in response to the collective acts of the legislature," said the Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP. The action, from 5 p.m.- 6 p.m., will be a "form of a pray-in," Barber said. The House convenes at 4 p.m., the Senate at 7 p.m. The NAACP has opposed the legislative actions reducing unemployment benefits, state House approval of photo voter ID, and other legislative measures.

FOXX TO TAKE OBAMA POST: President Barack Obama on Monday will nominate Mayor Anthony Foxx to be secretary of transportation, a White House official said Sunday on the condition of anonymity. The nomination of Foxx, whose city hosted last year’s Democratic National Convention, would make him the only African-American selected for a Cabinet opening in Obama’s second term. (More below.)

***Good morning. Welcome to the Dome Morning Memo -- a full roundup of North Carolina political news and analysis below. ***

Morning Memo: Voter ID legislation takes stage after crazy day at legislature

VOTER ID DUEL STARTS THE DAY: Democratic leaders frame the day with a 9:45 a.m. press conference about recent election legislation, from curtailing early voting to voter ID measures, but it better not take too long because House Speaker Thom Tillis will take the same podium at 10:30 a.m. A Republican announcement of a voter ID bill is possible given next week's Elections Committee hearing seeking public comment on the issue.

GOP FLOODGATES OPEN: Voter ID joins a long list of other major policy changes blossoming at the same time in the middle of this legislative session. Let's try to put it in one sentence: With voter ID, the House is launching the most politically volatile issue of the session at the same time Senate Republicans explore a major income tax overhaul that would redefine who carries the burden of the state's tax system and Gov. Pat McCrory readies a long list of policies to reverse course on Democratic rule for the past 20 years, starting with his Medicaid overhaul and state budget proposal, while other lawmakers push plenty of smaller but equally major bills to create a separate governing system for charter schools, repeal the state's renewable energy credits, support gun ownership, restart the death penalty, legalize some sweepstakes, put restrictions on those seeking public assistance, consider an Arizona-styled immigration checks and establish a resolution that says N.C. towns and cities can set an official religion. All this arose in various ways in a single day. When's sine die?

***Don't miss today's Dome Morning Memo -- a recap of news and analysis from a big day at the statehouse. More below. Send news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com.***

Betty McCain, long-time Democratic power, honored

Betty Ray McCain, one of the most influential women in Tar Heel politics and one of the true few wits, was honored Tuesday in Raleigh.

McCain was honored at a reception at the North Carolina Museum of History and then was interviewed in the auditorium by broadcaster Tom Campbell for future broadcast.

The Wilson County resident is a long-time ally and neighbor of former Gov. Jim Hunt, having served as state Democratic Party chairman and as cultural resources secretary.

About 100 people attended the event including Reps. Nathan Baskerville, Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Susan Fisher, Rosa Gill, Ken Goodman, Yvonne Holley, Pat Hurley, Jonathan Jordan, Susan Martin, Joe Tolson, Rena Turner, Chris Whitmire, Chad Barefoot, Bill Cook and Joel D.M. Ford.

Morning Memo: Manufacturing in the spotlight; what will Obama tell NC

TODAY IN POLITICS: The role of manufacturing in the state and how to revive the state's old economy takes center stage Monday and Tuesday at the Emerging Issues forum in Raleigh. The conference is hosted by former Gov. Jim Hunt. U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr will brief the audience Monday morning. And Gov. Pat McCrory will attend a lunch and award ceremony Tuesday. Other top N.C. officials will take part throughout the event.

In the legislature, the House and Senate convene at 6 p.m. for skeleton sessions. The real action starts Tuesday when budget committees begin to meet in public. A House committee will consider the controversial Medicaid bill Tuesday, as the full Senate considers a measure to curtail unemployment benefits. McCrory has no public events Monday, but he speaks to N.C. Department of Natural Resources employees Monday morning.

***Welcome to the Dome Morning Memo, the source for political news in North Carolina. Much more below. ***

Jim Gardner pokes fun at Jim Hunt

Former Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner had a little fun with his former political rival Jim Hunt as he played emcee at Saturday's inauguration.

"Is this not a great day in North Carolina," he asked toward the end of the ceremony. "And I'm even up here clapping for Jim Hunt," he added to laughter.

Hunt, the former four-term Democratic governor, did not attend the ceremony. But Bishop George Battle Jr, of African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, countered for him.

Saying he had something in common with Gardner, he said, "I used to serve you at the country club. So let's be careful about what you say about my governor Jim Hunt."

New group formed to push for cities and towns

A new bipartisan group of business and city leaders have formed group to push urban issues in the new Republican-controlled state government.

The group, called the N.C. Communities and Business Alliance, includes Democrats such as former Gov. Jim Hunt and Republicans such as former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot. The group recently held their inaugural meeting.

The group was formed at a time when the traditional voice of the towns and cities, the N.C. League of Municipalities, has been taking a political beating in the legislature on such issues as annexation.

“The idea came out of the League of Muncipalities that there ought to be a new voice up there for urban areas that represented their issues and there were plenty of business people who felt the same way,” said Vinroot, a two-time GOP candidate for governor.

“The idea is to try to bring business and local government as a voice to be heard in Raleigh,” Vinroot said.

Jim Hunt is retiring from Womble Carlyle

Former Gov. Jim Hunt is retiring from Womble Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, the state's largest law firm, at the end of the year.

Hunt, who is 75, intends to remain active and will continue to chair the two institute that he heads, the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University, and the James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Hunt is in the process of moving from Womble's Raleigh office in Wells Fargo building in downtown Raleigh out to an office at the Hunt Library at NCSU. Hunt has been with the firm for 12 years, where he largely served as a rain maker.

The four-term governor said he also plans to spend more time with his family on their Wilson County farm.

Holman moves to The Conservation Fund

Bill Holman has a new gig: director of The Conservation Fund's North Carolina office.

It's a fitting job for the man who once served as Gov. Jim Hunt’s secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and as executive director of the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

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