* Bob Geary at the Independent Weekly raises questions about the doctorate earned by Timothy Johnson, the newly elected vice chairman of the state Republican party.

* The UNC system has no official policy on administrators maintaining multiple e-mail accounts, reports Eric Ferreri at the N&O's Campus Notes blog.

* During his eight years in office, former Gov. Mike Easley built a reputation for being reclusive and seldom seen in public. Now his official portrait is carrying on the tradition.

* Nearly six months after taking office, Gov. Beverly Perdue is among the nation's most unpopular governors.

* Alt-weekly writer Bob Geary says U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's campaign skills are "fair-to-middling," Attorney General Roy Cooper's "unproven."

* N.C. House narrowly approves second reading of bill to allow comprehensive sex education in high schools, with some amendments.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue appoints Sherry Dew Tyler, law partner of state Sen. R.C. Soles, to District Court in Eastern Carolina.

* U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan sponsors a bill that would require funding of veterans hospitals on a two-year cycle to reduce financial uncertainty.

Reaction from the capitol press corps on the State of the State:

* Greensboro News-Record reporter Mark Binker said the speech was notable for what didn't happen. "You didn't hear a lot of push-back afterward," he writes, noting that Republican and Democratic legislators seemed reconciled to the deep budget cuts promised.

* WUNC radio reporter Laura Leslie said the speech was "math-lite" for its failure to mention taxes or dwindling revenue and made little news in part because Perdue's been so accessible that everyone knew what she was going to say. 

* Independent Weekly reporter Bob Geary said that liberal groups hoping to hear that the state can't "cut, cut, cut its way" out of a $3 to $4 billion shortfall heard nothing, but Perdue didn't make any "no new taxes" promises either.

* Adam Searing recalls former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long's sense of humor, willingness to fight on behalf of consumers.

* State Rep. Mickey Michaux suspects Long "saved North Carolina a whole bunch of money" during his years fighting insurance rate increases.

* N&O resident historian Rob Christensen notes that he was not as populist as his predecessor and helped clean up problems at the office.

* Insurance Journal notes that he received the first President's Award from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in December.

* Charlotte Observer editor Jack Betts says he was part of a long line of rural politicos, including Jim Graham, Thad Eure and his own family.

* Democratic pollster Tom Jensen says he seriously thought about polling Long against former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole last year because he was so popular.

* Bob Geary of Independent Weeky recalls a "progressive thinker and battler" and "a regular guy — not a bit of self-importance from what I saw."