House Democrats have five seats in their sights.

House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman told Dome that he hopes to expand the 68-seat majority to as many as 75 seats in the fall elections. Here are his top five districts:

25th: In a double primary, Democrats Randy Stewart and Carnell Taylor face off against either Republican W.B. Bullock or Robert A. Coats for the seat of Republican Rep. Bill Daughtridge.

36th: Recently retired IBM executive Al Swanstrom of Cary, a Democrat, will challenge second-term Republican Rep. Nelson Dollar.

53rd: Dunn attorney and political newcomer Joseph Lindsey (Joe) Tart, a Democrat, faces off against Rep. David Lewis.

87th: Banker and former State Board of Community Colleges chairman John Forlines, a Democrat, will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Edgar Starnes.

116th: Jane Whilden, an Asheville Democrat who ran Gov. Mike Easley's western office, squares off against Asheville Republican Tim Moffitt for the seat of Rep. Charles Thomas.

Four lawmakers are drafting a bill to provide full scholarships to the children of police and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

The lawmakers, all Republicans, are Sen. Richard Stevens of Cary, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell of Concord, Rep. Charles Thomas of Asheville and Rep. Thom Tillis of Huntersville plan to introduce bills in the house and senate in when the General Assembly reconvenes in May.

The scholarships would apply to state public universities or community colleges.

* Mecklenburg County works out system for helping the homeless vote after county commissioner challenged hundreds of voter registrations. (Char-O)

* Two Republicans on global warming panel clash: State Rep. Charles Thomas says time for action, Sen. Robert Pittenger says "We don't have the facts yet." (AC-T)

* Senate leader Marc Basnight says "untruths" have built distrust between state officials and Navy leaders who want to build a landing field here. (AP)

* Friends of the Earth Action, a national environmental group, will begin airing radio ads in support of John Edwards in New Hampshire. (AP)

Will U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler face a rematch?

Word on the street in Washington, D.C., is that Republicans are trying to get former Rep. Charles Taylor to decide soon whether he wants to face off against the Waynesville Democrat for the 11th District Congressional seat.

Shuler trounced the powerful GOP stalwart Taylor in November. But Roll Call ($), a Capitol Hill newspaper, reports today that local Republicans want Taylor to make a decision soon so others can jump into the game if he doesn’t.

Republicans told Roll Call that Taylor’s experience, wealth and name recognition could bode well.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Cherryville Republican who holds the seat adjacent to Shuler’s, told Roll Call that local Republicans should wait a few months before pushing Taylor. "Having a full year to campaign is plenty," he said.

Others considering a challenge to Shuler, according to Roll Call: state Sen. Tom Apodaca, state Rep. Charles Thomas, Asheville City Council member Carl Mumpower and Henderson County District Attorney Jeff Hunt.