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Rep. David Lewis tried to sink confirmation of two appointees to the Utilities Commission on the grounds that the state can't afford to pay two $123,000 salaries.

"My objection is not to the outstanding, fine individuals who have been asked to be named," Lewis said of Bryan Beatty and Susan Rabon. It was that a quarter of a million dollars could hire a whole lot of teachers.

The pair were appointed by the commission — which regulates utilities and utility rates — by Gov. Mike Easley as his tenure came to a close. Beatty was Easley's Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety. Rabon was a senior advisor to the governor. There are seven commissioners.

The Senate had previously confirmed the appointments. Lewis, a Dunn Republican, wanted to send the measure to a House appropriations committee, presumably to study whether the state could afford to pay the salaries.

That's when House members began to ask Lewis a series of questions that weren't really designed to gather information about Lewis' intentions.

"Do you realize they are already on board and already being paid?" asked Rep. Lorene Coates, a Salisbury Democrat.

Next was Rep. Bill Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat, who asked Lewis if he knew the salaries were not paid from tax dollars but from utility fees.

The next question was form Speaker Joe Hackney: "Does the gentleman wish to withdraw his motion?"

Eventually, it was Lewis' turn to ask a question. He asked Hackney how he would go about withdrawing his motion.

Just say that, Hackney answered.

The commissioners were confirmed 112 to 5. Lewis voted for them.

Gov. Mike Easley has nominated Susan Rabon to the N.C. Utilities Commission.

A Holly Springs resident, Rabon was a corporate lawyer in Wilmington before going to work as special counsel for the N.C. Department of Justice under then Attorney General Easley in 1993. She became chief of staff of the department in 1994.

Currently she works as senior assistant for administration in the governor's office.

Rabon graduated from N.C. State University in 1982 with a degree in political science and received her law degree from the University of Virginia in 1986. She clerked for N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Jack Cozort.

"Susan Rabon is an accomplished lawyer who has served our state with distinction and dedication," Easley said in a statement.  "Her integrity and knowledge of state government are unmatched. Her first priority has always been the needs and concerns of the people of North Carolina and I know she will take that same approach as a member of this commission."

The appointment will fill one of two openings on the board. Easley also nominated Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty today.

Both appointments will have to be confirmed by the legislature. 

Gov. Mike Easley has nominated Bryan Beatty to the N.C. Utilities Commission.

Beatty has served as secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety under Easley since 2001, overseeing the State Highway Patrol, the Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement and the Emergency Management Division, among other agencies.

"Bryan Beatty's dedication and integrity is unmatched in government," Easley said in a statement. "No matter what job he has held, he has always put the best interests of the state of North Carolina and her people first. I know he will continue to do so as a member of this commission."

Beatty had been angling to continue as secretary or in another position under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, but recently announced that he would instead leave for a new post.

The Utilities Commission regulates the rates and services of the state's public utilities, including telephone, electric, natural gas, wastewater, buses and ferryboats.

The governor appoints all seven members to eight-year terms, but they must be confirmed by the legislature. Other members appointed by Easley are Howard Lee, Bill Culpepper, Lorinzo Little Joyner, Sam Ervin IV, Robert Owens, and Chairman Edward Finley.

The appointment will fill one of two openings on the board.

Ervin will leave the board to join the N.C. Court of Appeals on Dec. 31. Jim Kerr left the board on Aug. 31.

Will Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue announce her new Cabinet Monday?

The latest rumor to spread through the capital press corps and its adjunct divisions in blogging and consulting is that Perdue will " wrap up her Cabinet in one big present" next week, in the words of Democratic consultant Gary Pearce.

"Delivery apparently has been delayed," he added. 

Of course, previous rumors had Perdue announcing her Cabinet picks last week and on other specific but ultimately incorrect days.

Whenever she does it, Perdue's announcement seems increasingly likely to come as one big package, since she's likely already made several decisions on appointments. (Otherwise, former contenders like Bryan Beatty wouldn't have stepped forward with their own announcements.)

If so, that would be a break with tradition. Previous governors such as Mike Easley have dribbled out their Cabinet appointments, giving each one a day in the sun.

The upside of this approach is that Perdue would get a bigger splash, attracting attention from even those who don't pay much attention to state politics. The risk is that each appointee gets less press attention (although in some cases they may prefer that.)

There's also no do-overs. If certain interest groups such as environmentalists feel they aren't represented or others think the Cabinet is not diverse enough, Perdue won't be able to make it up to them with a later announcement.

N.C. Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty said today that he will leave the department for a new position that Gov. Mike Easley will soon announce, reports Dan Kane.

Beatty has been in charge of the department — which includes the State Highway Patrol, Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement and the Emergency Management Division — since Easley took office in 2001. Governor-elect Beverly Perdue has not announced who will succeed Beatty.

"I am very proud of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and of the work we did over the past eight years," Beatty said. "I think whoever takes over the department will be inheriting one of the best agencies in the country."

Beatty declined to identify his new position, which he said he had been discussing with the governor for the past several months. Beatty has been rumored to be in line for an opening on the N.C. Utilities Commission or a state Superior Court seat.

Another name has surfaced for Crime Control secretary.

Gaston County Sheriff Alan Cloninger is reportedly under consideration for the Cabinet appointment by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

A former prosecutor and defense attorney from a prominent political family, Cloninger is active in Democratic politics and worked on Perdue's gubernatorial campaign.

Scott Thomas, the district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and a former state senator, is also in the mix. Current secretary Bryan Beatty is reportedly under consideration for Correction secretary.

Who might take over as Correction Secretary?

With current Secretary Theodis Beck retiring soon and no announcement yet by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, the appointment is still up in the air.

After a recent series in the N&O exposed problems with the probation system, the post may be one of the most closely watched in the new administration. (The other would be Health and Human Services Secretary, given another N&O series on mental health reform.)

In recent weeks, Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty's name has surfaced as a contender. He gave an ambiguous answer when asked by Dome.

Others in the mix: Jennie Lancaster, former superintendent of the N.C. Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, and Dan Stieneke, chief deputy secretary under Beck.

Update: Stieneke has announced he would retire on Jan. 1.

What will happen to members of Gov. Mike Easley's Cabinet?

As the two-term governor prepares to leave office in January, at least six of his top appointees have already said they will do the same, while others may be hoping to stay under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

Here's the current rundown on their plans (question marks indicate decisions are not official):

Britt Cobb, Administration: Stepping down
Jim Fain, Commerce: Stepping down
Theodis Beck, Correction: Retiring
Bryan Beatty, Crime Control: Moving to Correction?
Libba Evans, Cultural Resources: On leave already
Bill Ross, Environment and Natural Resources: Hoping to stay?
Dempsey Benton, Health and Human Services: Stepping down
George Sweat, Juvenile Justice: Retiring
Reginald Hinton, Revenue: Retiring
Lyndo Tippett, Transportation: Hoping to stay?

We've put the question to each of the secretaries and will update this post as we get more definitive answers on the remaining holdouts.

As always, e-mail any tips, gossip and unsubstantiated rumors to dome@newsobserver.com.

The Humane Society of the United States is applauding the N.C. State Highway Patrol's decision to disband its canine unit and build a new one that does not use aggressive training tactics and solely uses dogs for sniffing out narcotics.

N.C. Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty and patrol Commander Walter J. Wilson Jr. announced the plan on Monday, Dan Kane reports.

"We commend Secretary Beatty and Colonel Wilson for working to ensure  that all dogs employed by the North Carolina Highway Patrol are treated in a humane manner, and that all officers who handle these animals are fully and properly trained," said Amanda Arrington, the society's North Carolina state director.

The patrol suspended the unit after testimony in a personnel hearing seven months ago showed that troopers were using harsh training tactics such as swinging and suspending dogs by their leads, shocking them with stun guns and throwing plastic bottles filled with pebbles at them.

The hearing was held to determine if Sgt. Charles L. Jones should get his job back.

More after the jump.

How diverse will Beverly Perdue's Cabinet be?

As the governor-elect makes her decisions about the top 10 appointments to her administration, many observers will be looking at its diversity.

Gov. Mike Easley's original Cabinet from 2001 was described at the time by an N&O reporter as "perhaps the most diverse Cabinet in North Carolina history."

That group of 10 included three women (Administration Secretary Gwynn Swinson, Cultural Resources Secretary Libba Evans and Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker Buell) and three black appointees (Swinson, Correction Secretary Theodis Beck and Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty).

Only five appointees were white men.

After a handful of personnel changes, Easley's Cabinet became a little less diverse by the end of his second term. It now has one woman (Evans) and three black appointees (Beck, Beatty and Revenue Secretary Reginald Hinton).

Six appointees are now white men.

As the first female governor, Perdue may face higher expectations for the number of female appointees, although her campaign team had fewer women than primary rival Richard Moore's. After criticism of the lack of diversity on her transition team, she added new members.