Gov. Beverly Perdue is not alone in China and certainly not in terms of elected officials from North Carolina, since 11 legislators are also there.

Senators Malcolm Graham (right with Alfred Liu, general manager of SAS' Beijing R&D) and Bob Rucho, of Charlotte; Floyd McKissick, of Durham; Joe Sam Queen, of Waynesville and Tony Foriest, of Graham, along with Representatives Lucy Allen, of Louisburg; Bill Owens, of Elizabeth City; Joe Tolson, of Pinetops; Jane Whilden of Asheville; Margaret Dickson, of Fayetteville and Wil Neumann, of Belmont are visiting as part of a program organized by the University of North Carolina’s Center for International Understanding. All are Democrats except for Rucho and Neumann, Republicans.

Graham said no tax dollars are being used to pay for the trip. Funding comes from Duke University as well as corporate sponsors AT&T, Longistics and SAS.

The group is participating in a few events during Perdue's trade trip, such as Wednesday's visit to a middle school, but also are making their own stops, such as SAS' Beijing R&D operation. Lawmakers are aiming to learn more about a country and culture with which North Carolina must compete for jobs and business.

"We don’t live in an isolated world anymore," Graham said. "We’re not just competing with South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. We’re competing in a worldwide economy."

State Rep. Bill Owens says the recent legislative session was the most difficult of his career.

Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat, spoke to his hometown Rotary Club this week about the recently completed legislative session, according to a report in the Daily Advance.

He told the meeting that the state still needs to sort out who should be in charge of public schools, defended the Racial Justice Act, and said negotiations over the state budget made for a difficult session.

"This has been by far the most trying time I've ever had in my career," Owens said.

Hat Tip: The Insider.

Last week House Speaker Joe Hackney defended his plans to spend some of the week at the National Conference of State Legislatures summit in Philadelphia.

Hackney was one of 10 lawmakers, all Democrats, from the state to register for the summit. Four legislative staff members were registered to go, according to the legislature's controller's office. The state would pay registration, $499 to $625, depending on when the attendee registered. Members were to pay their other expenses.

But on Monday, many on the list to go were not in Philadelphia. Like Hackney, members may move back and forth or just go later in the week, officials said.

The members signed up to go are:

Senate: Dan Blue (D-Raleigh), Charlie Dannelly (D-Charlotte), Katie Dorsett (D-Greensboro), Tony Foriest (D-Graham), Ed Jones (D-Halifax County).

House: Rick Glazier (D-Fayetteville), Hackney (D-Orange County), Phillip Haire (D-Sylva), Larry Hall (D-Durham), Bill Owens (D-Elizabeth City) 

Previously: Expenses minimal for NCSL trip to New Orleans. 

The long push to work out a budget has creeped forward.

House and Senate Democrats have agreed to broad parameters under which the state would spend $18.9 billion in this fiscal year, including $990 million in new taxes, the Associated Press reports.

Of course, the key details — what would be cut, what would be taxed — aren't done yet. Negotiators will work through the weekend, so long as they are making progress, said Rep. Bill Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat.

Correction: Post now correctly states the size of the budget. 

A bill that would all but guarantee attorneys fees for those who sue over public records cleared a key committee Wednesday morning.

The bill's supporters narrowly escaped an amendment that would have also guaranteed attorneys fees if a government agency wins a records lawsuit. The amendment failed on a tie vote.

The amendment's sponsor, Rep. Bill Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat, was necessary to ensure that news organizations and state residents don't flood government with frivolous lawsuits.

"It's said we need to look out for the people's information," Owens said. "We need to look out for the people's money as well."

Supporters of the original bill said that government agencies, cities, counties and towns are not above using their staff attorneys to stonewall citizens.

"Since when has fighting city hall been described as a level playing field?" said Rep. Edgar Starnes, a Hickory Republican.

Owens amendment, or one like it, seems likely to resurface when the bill hits the House floor, possibly next week.

More after the jump.

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Gov. Beverly Perdue will likely give her State of the State address to the legislature next Monday evening.

A bill by Rep. Bill Owens, the House Rules Committee chairman, invites Perdue to speak to a joint session of the legislature at 7 p.m. on March 9, Rob Christensen reports.

But aides to the governor, said Perdue will most likely propose her budget a week or so after her speech to the legislature.

The State of the State address is expected to be filled with tough news as North Carolina battles with growing budget shortfalls resulting from the recession.

A few of the interesting new House bills:

H.B. 74: Spend 65% of School Funds in Classroom, Rep. John Blust

H.B. 75: Salary Funds/Spend Only for Salaries, Rep. Blust

H.B. 76: School Board Candidate Filing Fee, Reps. Rick Glazier, Doug Yongue

H.B. 78: Honor Jimmy Johnson, NASCAR Nextel Champ, Rep. Bill Owens

H.B. 83: Modify Out-of-State Tuition Exemption, Reps. Pricey Harrison, George Cleveland, Wil Neumann, Jennifer Weiss

Rep. Bill Owens
Elizabeth City Democrat
Eighth Term

What two things would you cut in the state budget? End some of the state's leases on office space because there are state owned buildings with vacant space. "We're spending a lot of money leasing space."

Are there any taxes you would be in favor of increasing? "I've always been in favor of letting any county or city vote" to raise local taxes. "Let the voters decide."

— Mark Johnson 

Rep. Bill Owens says Elizabeth City State University should change its name.

The Pasquotank Democrat argued that the historically black college founded in 1891 would have better name recognition and get more funding if it had a different name, The Daily Advance reports.

He said the new name should show it is part of the University of North Carolina system. 

Thirteen years ago, Owens sponsored a bill changing Pembroke State University to UNC-Pembroke. Since then, he said the university's population has more than doubled, while Elizabeth City's population has only gone up by 50 percent.

"There are a lot of things to be proud of, but we need to be all that we can be here at this university," he said.

He noted that the school is now on its fourth name.