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President Barack Obama's standing in North Carolina has dropped in the state, according to a new poll.

The president had an approval rating now stands at 45 percent positive and 53 percent negative, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic leaning firm based in Raleigh.

In March, the same firm found that Obama's approval rating was 47 percent and his disapproval rating was at 50 percent.

In recent days, Obama has been dealing with several controversies involving the IRS singling out the tax returns of conservative groups, and the Justice Department investigating possible leaks of classified information to AP.

By comparison, Republican Sen. Richard Burr's approval rating was 38 percent, and his disapproval rating was 40 percent.

The survey of 500 North Carolinians was conducted May 17-20 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.

Republican Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry runs even with Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in a new poll.

Berry and Hagan are tied at 45 percent in a potential 2014 match-up, according to a survey conducted by Public Policy polling, a Democratic leaning firm based in Raleigh.

In the GOP primary to be held next May, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx(15 percent) is in a virtual tie with Berry (14 percent.)” Following them is Senate leader Phil Berger and Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, each with 10 percent, physician Greg Bannon with 7 percent, House Speaker Thom Tillis with 6 percent, former ambassador Jim Cain with 4 percent, Mark Harris and Lynn Wheeler each with 3 percent.

None of the potential Republican candidates are very well known across the state, according to the poll.

UPDATED: DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S PROBLEMS GROW: The head of the North Carolina Democratic Party is facing questions about credit card charges made during a March trip to a Las Vegas casino to watch basketball games with his old college buddies. Records obtained by The Associated Press show state Democratic Chairman Randy Voller made $3,327 in charges to Southwest Airlines and the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel on an American Express Business Gold Card embossed with his name and that of the North Carolina Democratic Party. He said he's paid off the balance in full. Much more to this story -- click here.

N.C. LAWMAKERS TO PLAY "THE OTHER CAROLINA" IN BASKETBALL: North Carolina lawmakers will challenge their South Carolina counterparts to a game of hoops Wednesday evening at Reynolds Coliseum. The game is the first in at least four years between lawmakers from the two Carolinas. Rep. Burt Jones, a Rockingham Republican who will coach the North Carolina squad, helped revive the tradition. “The games in the past were pretty competitive,” he said. (Scouting report below.)

***This is the Dome Morning Memo -- the source for N.C. political news and fun (see below). Send news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com. ***

Only one in 10 North Carolina voters support a sales tax on groceries, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey, and many appear uninterested in the House and Senate tax plans.

The Senate tax plan would levy a 6.5 percent state and local sales tax on food -- 14 years after state lawmakers repealed it. Local governments currently can tax food at 2 percent but the state doesn't received the revenue.

The Democratic firm's poll of North Carolina voters found that 81 percent oppose the Senate's idea and another 9 percent are undecided. The House tax plan doesn't touch the food tax.

Asked if they support the Senate's tax plan (without description of what it did), 44 percent opposed the plan and another 42 percent were undecided. Only 14 percent support it. Likewise, the House plan -- which debuted Thursday -- fared about the same with just 11 percent supportive and 41 percent opposed. Another 48 percent were undecided.

NEARLY HALF VOTERS CONSIDER SAY #NCGA CAUSING NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT: One of the more intriguing poll numbers in the latest monthly Public Policy Polling survey due out later today: 45 percent. That's the portion of voters who believe the N.C. General Assembly is causing the state "national embarrassment." The poll question comes after a number of hot-button legislative issues received national attention -- and ridicule. Another 31 percent don't think the state legislature is a blemish and another 24 percent are undecided. (More from poll below.)

TODAY AT THE STATEHOUSE: No rest for the weary this week on Jones Street. The Senate appropriations committee meets at 8:30 to discuss its $20.6 billion state budget. Democrats will raise objections but no significant changes are expected. At the same time, the House Finance Committee will consider a major immigration bill that is drawing increasing fire from the ACLU and others concerned about Arizona-type provisions about stopping and detaining people who did not enter the country legally. At 11 a.m., the House Education Committee will get its first look at a new private school voucher bill. Senate and House floor calendars are light after crossover week's flurry, but the House will give final reading to a bill limiting tolling of existing highways.

Gov. Pat McCrory will meet with the Philippine ambassador at 8:45 a.m. in a private meeting and later attend a N.C. Department of Transportation luncheon. McCrory will speak to a group of under-45 CEOs as part of the southern chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization conference and travel to Charlotte this evening for a forum with the city's other current and former mayors.

***This is the Dome Morning Memo. Read more new exclusive PPP numbers below and get more insights into the state budget. ***

A new poll suggests that Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan may have helped herself when she voted recently to support background checks for gun sales.

A survey found that 52 percent of North Carolina voters were more inclined to reelect Hagan next year because she voted for background checks,while 26 percent said they would be less likely to support her.

That is according to a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm based in Raleigh. The firm found similar results in Louisiana, where Sen. Mary Landrieu also faces re-election next year.

The poll found that 72 percent of Tar Heel voters support background checks, while 22 percent oppose it.

The spin: “Mary Landrieu and Kay Hagan helped their chances for reelection by supporting background checks,” said Dean Debnam, the firm's president. “Their constituents overwhelmingly support the stance they took on this issue and are ready to reward them for it at the ballot box next year.''

The survey of 600 North Carolina voters was conducted April 30-May 1 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Gov. Pat McCrory remains popular in North Carolina but his Republican colleagues in state government and the legislature are underwater.

The governor -- recently named one of the most conservative in the nation -- received 49 percent job approval with 36 percent disapproving. Another 15 percent remain undecided, according to the latest survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.

With his numbers holding steady for the past few months, McCrory is faring much better than Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, whose neared negative territory about this point into her term.

An early -- repeat, early -- 2016 presidential poll in North Carolina looks good for Democrat Hillary Clinton if she decides to run for the White House.

In a hypothetical matchup against Republican Marco Rubio, another potential candidate, Clinton wins 49 percent to 42 percent with 9 percent undecided, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey.

The Raleigh-based Democratic firm also found that Clinton also bests Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, 52 percent to 40 percent with 8 percent undecided.

The numbers break largely along partisan lines with Clinton holding a slight advantage against independents. The former secretary of state also gets about 55 percent of women against both potential challengers, while men narrowly favor the Republican. The automated PPP poll, taken April 11-14, has a 4 percentage point margin of error.

Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan continues to lead all of her potential GOP opponents, with Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry remaining her strongest opponent, according to a new poll.

Hagan would beat Berry by a 46-41 percent margin, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic leaning firm based in Raleigh.

Hagan would defeat Congresswoman Renee Ellmers by a 48-40 margin and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and stateSenate leader Phil Berger by a 48-39 percent margin, according to the po9ll. She would defeat House Speaker Thom Tillis by a 49-39 percent margin and Cary physician Greg Brannon by a 49-36 percent margin.

The poll shows that Hagan has lost little support since she announced her support for gay marriage. Her job approval was 39 percent and disapproval was 37 percent,

In the Republican primary, the field is wide open. Berry leads among GOP voters with 18 percent followed by Foxx with 13 percent, Ellmers with 12 percent, Berger with 11 percent, Tillis with 7 percent, Brannon with 6 percent and 1 percent for Terry Embler.

The survey of 601 voters was conducted April 11-14 and had a margin of error of 4 percent. The subset of 468 Republican voters for the primary question had a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

Supporters of early voting Monday released a poll showing strong support in North Carolina for continued early voting.

The survey showed 78 percent of Tar Heel voters support early voting, and 53 percent support Sunday voting. The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic leaning firm based in Raleigh.

The poll was released as Republican lawmakers introduced bills that would cut North Carolina's early voting period from 17 to 10, and eliminate Sunday voting.

At a news conference in front of the Legislative Building, ProgressNC, a Democratic advocacy group, introduced several speakers who said that early voting was a convenient way to vote.

“I'm an unaffiliated voter, and I always vote,” said Candice Davies of Cary. “I've voted early in nine of the last eleven elections because I am very busy with work and family and I don't have time to wait in long lines to vote,. I don't understand how our current state lawmakers would think its wise to shrink early voting and make us wait in longer lines to vote.''

Gerrick Brenner, with ProgressNC said that 57 percent of North Carolina voters – or 2.5 million people – voted early in in 2012.

Florida cut back from 14 to 8 days early voting days for 2012, and it lead, according to some reports, to six hour waits in some locations.