The House voted for a bill Monday that would make it a crime to leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate, makes it unlawful to leave a child younger than 9 alone in a car if a reasonable person would believe the child is at risk. Leaving the engine running or keys in the car with a child would also be against the law.

The bill would make an exception if the driver has a line of sight to the car. That means if someone runs into the dry cleaner but can still see his or her car in the parking lot, the bill wouldn’t apply, said Rep. Alice Graham Underhill, a New Bern Democrat and sponsor of the bill.

"This is if you go to the grocery store and stay there for an hour," Underhill told House members Monday.

More after the jump.

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Rep. Alice Graham Underhill encountered some rocky going today when urging the House Transportation Committee today to approve putting the designation visitnc.com on state license plates.

Some of her sample license plates — meant to show the addition of the state's tourism Web site — displayed the ill-fated combination WTF, Thomas Goldsmith reports.

The state previously had to offer replacements to nearly 10,000 license plate holders after learning that the letter were a common abbreviation for a vulgar phrase starting, "What the ...?"

When committee members questioned whether the addition was in large enough type for other drivers to make out at interstate speeds.

"Is there a way to make the Web site more prominent?" asked Rep. Ty Harrell, a Wake County Democrat.

Not without redesigning the plate, Underhill said, adding: "My goal is to get the Web site on the plate. This is the only way to get the Web site on the plate."

The bill didn't move forward, but committee vice-chairman Nelson Cole appointed a subcommittee to study the issue further.

A number of top state Democrats are at Camp Lejeune.

Gov. Beverly Perdue, Speaker Joe Hackney and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall just arrived for a speech on the military by President Obama.

Perdue's chief lobbyist, Andy Willis, and spokeswoman, Chrissy Pearson, came with the group. U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and Rep. David Price came separately.

The speech will be held at the Goettge Memorial Field House, which Marines use to play basketball, but there's not going to be a chance for the hoops-loving president to take any shots today.

Several hundred Marines are in folding chairs on the court floor, awaiting the president.

Update: U.S. Reps. Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller and Larry Kissell; Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin; Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand; and state Reps. Russell Tucker, Grier Martin and Alice Underhill are also here.

Second Update: Defense Secretary Robert Gates, National Security Adviser James L. Jones, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, Lt. Gen. Dennis Hejlik of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force and senior Obama advisor David Axelrod were also at the event.

Rep. William Wainwright won a second term as speaker pro tem.

The Havelock Democrat was nominated to serve in the leadership role under Speaker Joe Hackney by Rep. Alma Adams, a fellow member of the Legislative Black Caucus.

She called Wainwright, an ordained minister, "a man of God."

"Around these halls we finally regard him as our bishop and we seek his counsel and his wise advice," she said. "He's a man of purpose, principled in his actions."

Reps. Alice Underhill of New Bern and Paul Luebke of Durham seconded the nomination.

Republican Rep. Dale Folwell of Winston-Salem was also nominated.

Wainwright won on a party-line vote. He has held the post since 2007.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue will speak at a Lillian's List gathering.

Perdue will be the keynote speaker at a Jan. 28 "victory breakfast" by the group, which promotes pro-choice female candidates in North Carolina.

The event will be held at the Cardinal Club on the penthouse levels of the Raleigh skyscraper known for the time being as the Wachovia Capitol Center.

It's not known what Perdue will say, but the state's first female governor will no doubt reference the group's namesake, first female Southern legislator Lillian Exum Clement.

The breakfast will also honor candidates backed by the group, including state Reps. Alice Bordsen, Jane Whilden, Margaret Dickson, Alice Underhill, Lucy Allen, Linda Coleman, Maggie Jeffus and Jennifer Weiss.

Tickets cost $100. Sponsorships are also available for $250 to $4,000.

Registration is online here.

A dozen members of a state inauguration committee have been named.

The N.C. Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will oversee the swearing-in ceremonies of Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue and other members of the Council of State, the inaugural parade and an open house at the Executive Mansion that same afternoon.

Perdue appointed New Bern law firm employee Sissy Chesnutt, former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton of Lake Gaston and higher education administrator Jill Dinwiddie of Charlotte.

Gov. Mike Easley appointed Raleigh attorney Dee Becton Rozier, tourism development officer Kaye Myers of Fairview, and Wilmington attorney Linda Wilson.

Senate leader Marc Basnight appointed Sens. Katie Dorsett of Greensboro, Vern Malone of Raleigh and Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand of Fayetteville.

And House Speaker Joe Hackney appointed Reps. Linda Coleman of Knightdale, Margaret Highsmith Dickson of Fayetteville and Alice Underhill of New Bern.

Basnight, Hackney and the 10 newly elected members of the Council of State will also serve as non-voting members.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Chesnutt's job.

Which House Democrats are in Republican-leaning districts?

According to the N.C. Partisan Index, 10 Democratic representatives are in districts that lean Republican.

The index was created by the conservative Civitas Institute, using results from the 2004 elections. Ratings were based on how the district voted in Council of State races when compared to state as a whole.

Five of the blue fish in red ponds are on House Republican's wish list.

Below, the representatives and their district ratings, from most Republican to least. 

Rep. Ray Warren (R+11), Rep. Alice Graham Underhill (R+6), Rep. Bob England (R+6), Rep. Walter Church Sr. (R+4), Rep. Jim Harrell III (R+4), Rep. Cullie Tarleton (R+3), Rep. Ty Harrell (R+2), Rep. Arthur Williams (R+1), Rep. R. Van Braxton (R+1) House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman (R+1).

In addition, one Republican is in a Democratic-leaning district. Rep. Bill Daughtridge, who is running for state treasurer, is from a D+3 district.

His seat is on the Democrat's wish list. 

Earlier: Blue fish, red pond, Senate edition 

Republicans have five seats in their sights so far.

Based on filings with the State Board of Elections, Michael Luthy of the N.C. Republican House Majority Fund singled out five districts where he thinks the GOP has a good chance:

3rd: Norman Sanderson of Arapahoe and Craven County Commissioner Renee Sisk face off in the Republican primary to run against Democratic Rep. Alice Graham Underhill.

41st: Apex Councilman Bryan Gossage, owner of Peak Media Group, squares off against first-term Democratic Rep. Ty Harrell.

86th: Valdese attorney Hugh Blackwell faces Democratic Rep. Walt Church Sr. in a rematch of the 2006 race.

88th: Former state Rep. Mark Hollo of Taylorsville faces Democratic Rep. Ray Warren in a rematch of the 2006 race.

90th: Mount Airy attorney Sarah Stevens squares off against Rep. Jim Harrell III.

Luthy said that he was excited about several other races, but did not want to talk about them until the candidates have filed.

It's hard out here for a legislator.

Just ask Rep. Susan Fisher. According to a post on Jordan Schrader's Capital Letters blog, the Asheville Democrat joined Mebane Democratic Rep. Alice Bordsen and New Bern Democratic Rep. Alice Underhill for a parody of the Oscar-winning song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."

The three were among 30 lawmakers selected from across the country to be fellows at the Flemming Leadership Institute at the Center for Policy Alternatives.

After the performance, Fisher said, African-American lawmakers wanted to know how three middle-aged white women knew the song.

"I was like, 'I reach across cultures,'" she said.