Spouses could not file alienation of affection lawsuits after they separated from their spouse under a bill that cleared a Senate committee Tuesday.

North Carolina is one of only seven states that still has such a law allowing a husband or wife to sue their spouse's lover effectively for causing the marriage to break up, according to legislative staff. The bill would permit lawsuits only over extramarital affairs that occur while the couple are still married and living together.

Advocates argued that bitter spouses were filing lawsuits after separation as a means of harrassment and leverage in settling a divorce. Tami Fitzgerald, of the Christian Action League, said the bill removes an incentive for separated couples to focus on whether they want to reconcile their marriage.

"It doesn't give the couple time for talking, for counsel," Fitzgerald said, "for putting their marriage back together."

The bill also prohibits lawsuits against a spouse's employer for somehow making an affair possible, such as with a co-worker.

Could a bill banning bullying against gays and lesbians lead to same-sex marriage?

Yes, according to two N.C. Roman Catholic bishops who have urged their followers in two mass emails this past week to oppose Senate Bill 526, otherwise known as the School Violence Protection Act, Yonat Shimron reports.

While the two bishops say they oppose bullying period, they cannot support a bill that singles out "gender identity and sexual orientation."

Msgr. Michael Clay, the legislative lobbyist for the Diocese of Raleigh, said three states — Iowa, California and Connecticut — have used similar anti-gay bullying laws as part of their "findings of fact," in building a case for same-sex marriage.

"It could be a precursor of actions by our legislature and/or our courts to mandate same-sex marriage," said Clay. "It's more than speculative. This is a result that happens."

Clay said both Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte believe bullying is wrong and would gladly support a bill without the offending language.

"We're urging people to support the bill and take out the differentiating language," he said.

Other groups, including the Christian Action League and the N.C. Family Policy Council, also oppose the bill, saying it would introduce special legal protections for gays and lesbians.

Update: But not all religious groups agreed with what they said was an exaggerated emphasis on same-sex marriage.

"This is not a theoretical political issue," said the Rev. Jack McKinney, co-pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. "This is about real kids suffering real pain and too many of them hurting themselves. For it to be used as a political football is a tragedy."

Rep. Cullie Tarleton said restaurant owners are in favor of the ban.

Speaking on the House floor, the Watauga County Democrat said that he has a friend who owns a restaurant and bar in Blowing Rock who calls once or twice a week asking about the proposed smoking ban.

He said that, statistically speaking, four North Carolinians died today because of second-hand smoke.

He also quoted a letter from Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina. 

The liquor industry is pushing for Sunday sales.

Legislation filed Tuesday would let cities and counties open their local Alcoholic Beverage Control stores and allow restaurants and bars to serve liquor on Sundays.

The longstanding resistance to selling liquor on Sunday may have weakened as the state looks for ways to fill a budget shortfall. Industry analysts project the state would get at least an additional $5.5 million.

"For those areas that want it, it provides an additional service to their citizens," said Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat and the bill's chief sponsor, "and the revenue will be higher."

Beer and wine are sold at grocery stores, restaurants and bars after noon on Sundays. The Carolina Panthers got special permission two years ago to start selling at 11 a.m. for Sunday games.

Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the evangelical Christian Action League said the measure will lead to more alcohol-related problems. (N&O)

The anti-bullying bill, which would have listed gay students as potential harassment targets, is dead, said a state senator who worked on proposal.

The Senate had the bill on its list of issues to vote on today, but sent it back to committee.

Another controversial bill that appeared dead this week was twice given new life and passed, but Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, said the bullying bill is really gone.

The bill was controversial because it listed "sexual orientation" and more than a dozen other characteristics as reasons school children might be bully targets. Groups interested in socially conservative issues such as the Christian Action League and the N.C. Family Policy Council did not want the term "sexual orientation" in state law, saying that gay-rights groups would use it to leverage other rights.

The bill would have required teachers, students and volunteers to report bullying and have local school boards establish anti-bullying policies.

Ironically, supporters said they had enough votes to pass it, but only if everyone showed up. As a courtesy, the Senate allows members who cannot be around for votes to "pair" with another senators who are going to vote the opposite way. When senators "pair," their votes cancel each other.

Berger said the bill's opponents pressured senators who were going to vote no not to accept pair requests from senators who would have voted for the bill.

Bullying is already against school policies, Berger said, but the only way it is going to be seriously addressed is if people talk frankly about who gets targeted.

"The failure of this bill to pass, I think, it sends a bad message," Berger said.

House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a proposed law aimed at protecting  students from bullying that includes provisions meant to satisfy conservatives.

The House and Senate are expected to vote on the compromise today that would require local school boards to adopt anti-bulling polices and require school employees, volunteers and students to report bullying to school officials, Lynn Bonner reports.

Organizations such as the Christian Action League fought a version of the bill that listed "gender identity or expression," and "sexual orientation" as reasons a student would be bullied.

In the compromise, "gender identity and expressiion" is removed, and replaced with "masculinity" and "femininity." All negotiators signed the compromise, except for one Republican senator.

Rep. Rick Glazier, the Fayetteville Democrat who sponsored the bill, said the change eliminated descriptions that were causing the most controversy but still recognized that effeminate boys and tomboys are bullying targets.

The compromise makes clear that the descriptions in bullying law would not expand the existing classifications of people who can claim discrimination, Glazier said.