When it comes to renewable energy, the winds of change are meeting some resistance.

Senate Democrats are trying to blow past disagreements about whether they should allow for the development of wind energy facilities in the state's mountains.

A committee approved a version of a bill Tuesday that would create a permitting process for the construction of wind turbines. While the original bill applied to the entire state, the committee's substitute version would only allow for construction of turbines in coastal areas.

Mountain senators objected to the original bill and are trying to work with its sponsor to modify the wording.

"We are still working with our mountain folks to figure out the language that would be appropriate," said Sen. Charles Albertson, the bill's sponsor.

Leaders are hoping the problems blow over, and that a compromise is reached before the finance committee considers the bill.

Who will write the Senate budget?

In recent years, the Senate Appropriations Committee has been something of a finishing school for ambitious state senators, including Gov. Beverly Perdue, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan.

Last session, Senate leader Marc Basnight kept Dalton and Hagan as sort of budget writers emeriti, while longtime Sen. Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem got help from Sens. Charles Albertson of Duplin County and Charlie Dannelly of Charlotte.

Like all committee assignments, Basnight names the budget chairs anew each year, but he's tended to keep the same senators in charge until they either graduated or dropped out of finishing school, as it were. It's not clear if he'll continue that tradition.

For now, Basnight's office is not saying whether Albertson and Dannelly will stay on, and other senators are known to be fishing for the jobs. Garrou will almost certainly continue in the job, especially if two new budget chairs are named.

"I can't say exactly what (Basnight will) do this year because it's not yet happened," said Basnight spokesman Schorr Johnson. "I don't know. That is my honest answer."

He said the budget chairs will be announced with other appointments after senators are sworn in on Jan. 28.

The state Senate has two new budget committee chairman, Charlie Dannelly of Charlotte and Charles Albertson of Beulaville.

They replace Sens. Kay Hagan of Greensboro and Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton, who will step down to "advisory" roles, reports Lynn Bonner. Read: They don't have to go to all the meetings.

Hagan and Dalton are running for higher office, she for U.S. Senate and he for lieutenant governor.

Dannelly and Albertson join Sen. Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem as the so-called "big chairs" on the Senate budget writing committee.

The Senate recognized country icons Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson today.

The resolution was intended to boost a plan by Destination Cleveland County to start a Southern Music Heritage Museum honoring the two musicians.

But it also gave fans in the Senate a chance to talk about their heroes.

Sen. Charles Albertson, a professional country music singer, recalled rushing home from church to hear Scruggs on WPTF. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand noted that "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" was his fraternity's theme song.

And Sen. Stan Bingham recalled playing a Flatt and Scruggs' bluegrass song, "Hot Corn, Cold Corn," to admiring Australians. He even quoted a few lines:

Here comes a preacher,
and the children are a crying.
The chickens are a hollering,
and the toenails are a flying.

The legislature passed a resolution Tuesday that paid tribute to the late Dallas Herring, known as "the father of community colleges" in North Carolina.

Rep. Russell Tucker shared his memories of Herring and pointed out that Herring, in addition to his role in the creation of the Community College System, also served as the chairman of the State Board of Education during the tumultuous time of desegregation.

"He was the right man for the job," Tucker said. "He was a man of education, and everyone in this chamber has benefitted from the contributions of Dallas Herring."

Herring’s two brothers and their wives observed from the House gallery.

In the Senate, Sen. Charles Albertson called Herring “One of the greatest men I’ve ever known. He wasn’t focused on himself, but on his fellow man.”

Herring died in January at age 90. A former mayor of Rose Hill, he had an extensive home library and a passion for education. He led the State Board of Education from 1957 to 1977. In the late 1950s, he pushed a plan for industrial education centers and then the creation in 1963 of the state's community college system, which now enrolls more than 800,000 students at 58 campuses.