A few of the more interesting Senate bills:

S.B. 172: Allow Charter Schools in 100 Counties, Sen. Eddie Goodall

S.B. 178: Repeal Ban G.S. 95-98, Sen. Larry Shaw

S.B. 179: Sterilization Compensation, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 181: Drivers License Change Expir./8 yrs to 65, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 182: Honor Bob Scott, Sen. Tony Foriest

* N&O editor John Drescher remembers another side of former Gov. Bob Scott — the politician who refused to answer a difficult question from a reporter.

* Greensboro News-Record columnist Doug Clark wonders why the public campaign finance system should spend $200,000 to elect a powerless schools superintendent.

* WUNC radio reporter Laura Leslie mourns the end of NBC-17's "At Issue" weekly political news show, praises hard work of anchor Kim Genardo.

* Blogger Dr. Frank argues that the legislature's balanced budget requirement may be too restrictive during a recession since suggested cuts aren't even close.

MEBANE — Four N.C. governors were among the hundreds of mourners who said farewell today to one of their predecessors, Bob Scott, who died Friday at 79.

Under gray skies and a steady drizzle, Scott was laid to rest next to his father, the late Gov. Kerr Scott, Jim Morrill reports.

The overflow crowd at Hawfields Presbyterian Church included Gov. Beverly Perdue, former Govs. Jim Holshouser, Jim Hunt and Mike Easley, and former U.S. senators Bob Morgan and Lauch Faircloth.

But Scott was remembered not just for his political achievements but for being a man who never forgot where he came from.

In the church where he was baptized, Scott's widow, Jessie Rae, recalled how her husband used to insist on coming back for services every Sunday when they lived in Raleigh.

"Robert said we had to do it for our children so they'll stay connected to the community," she said.

The small country church filled an hour before the 11 a.m. service, which Scott designed himself. The pastor said the former governor wanted an "uplifting and cheerful" service whete people sang "with gusto."

Scott was eulogized by two grandsons. But others brought their own memories.

"He was a down-to-earth fellow," said Hunt. "No pretentions about him."

Three former governors will get Highway Patrol rides to the funeral this morning of former Gov. Bob Scott in Alamance County.

Former Governors Mike Easley, Jim Hunt and Jim Holshouser will be picked up by Highway Patrol, according to a patrol spokesman.

Former Gov. Jim Martin is in Costa Rica and will be unable to attend, Rob Christensen reports.

There is a tradition of Highway Patrol taking governors to the funerals of past governors.

Gov. Beverly Perdue will lead a delegation to the funeral in Haw River of former Gov. Bob Scott on Tuesday.

Among those expected to attend are former governors Mike Easley, Jim Hunt and Jim Holshouser, Rob Christensen reports. Ex-governor Jim Martin is in Costa Rica and is not expected to attend.

Others scheduled to go to the funeral include former U.S. Senators Robert Morgan and Lauch Faircloth.

The funeral will be held at the Hawfields Presbyterian Church. Scott's body will be pulled by caisson, followed by a riderless horse, to the graveyard.

This is at least the third time the state's political establishment has headed to Haw River for a funeral. The first time was in 1958, when former Gov. Kerr Scott, Bob's father, was buried. The second time was in 1989 when state Sen. Ralph Scott, passed away.

Former Gov. Bob Scott, who will be buried Tuesday, once told the story of the last funeral of a past North Carolina governor — that of Terry Sanford at Duke University in 1998.

Scott (1969-73) said that another member of the ex governor's club, Jim Martin (1985-93) turned to Scott and said: "You're next."

Martin was apparently trying to be funny, but it was also a recognition that after Sanford passed away, Scott was the oldest ex-governor, Rob Christensen reports.

But Scott seemed to think the comment was more cheeky than funny.

Bob Scott's possum dinner menu was in French.

A copy of the infamous black-tie menu provided to Dome by former Goldsboro News-Argus editor Gene Price shows the governor went over-the-top:

Diner
Vin Rosé de la Regien des Laes
Champagne de New York

Potage aux herrioets Clams
avec quoue de pore
O'Possum du Carolina du Nord
Finilles verts Potates
Pois
Cotes de pere roties
Peuding aux persimmons

The Executive Mansion
Friday, January 21, 1972

After the jump, our best shot at a translation.

(Note: The spelling may not be entirely accurate, as the menu was written in calligraphy and e-mailed to Dome.)

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The invitation had the state seal and fancy calligraphy.

But something was amiss. It seemed to be inviting Gene Price, then an editor of the Goldsboro News-Argus, to dine on Jan. 21, 1972, with then-Gov. Bob Scott  ... on possum.

"I called Bob and said, 'Man, you mean I have to go rent a tuxedo to eat a possum?'" he recalled. "I said, 'To eat a possum you're supposed to wear gallus overalls and knee boots.'"

Scott, a dairy farmer from Haw River, liked to play up his rural roots, and his black-tie possum dinner at the governor's mansion became a legendary part of it.

Price, 80, said it was not the first time he'd had possum. He'd tried cooking it frying it, roasting it and sauteeing it as a young hunter, but it never turned out to his satisfaction.

After a toast of moonshine liquor, Scott swore that his possum had been cornfed in an enclosed pen and specially cleaned and cooked.

"I tried it and had to tell him that I'd eaten possum every way you could think of and as far as his was concerned, a possum is a possum is a possum," Price said. "Too greasy."

Luckily, there were also some pork ribs.

UNC-TV will air a documentary on Bob Scott tonight.

The public television station will re-air an episode of its "Biographical Conversations" series at 8 p.m. on its digital channel, UNC-NC.

Legislative guru Gerry Cohen has his own memory of former Gov. Bob Scott.

As a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1970, Cohen got a call from a reporter from the Charlotte Observer. 

As he recalls, Scott had made a campaign promise that his office door would always be open. The reporter offered Cohen and a few other people with no political connections $25 each to try to get an appointment with the governor.

"I drove over from Chapel Hill to see if I could meet with the governor," Cohen wrote in an e-mail to Dome. " I got ushered in to see Ben Roney, who I think was chief of staff. Roney offered to set up an appointment, but said the next availabe time for me to meet with the Governor would be three or four months in the future."

Cohen said he declined, but the door was open.