House and Senate Republicans touted a bill Tuesday that would allow all law enforcement officers to conduct a warrantless search on any probationer.

The bill is in response to a series in The News & Observer that found that the state's probation system frequently lost track of its charges. One story reported that a probation officer was disciplined for conducting a search on a probationer who was living in another county.

The bill, which is still in the drafting stages, would require judges to place all supervised probationers on a restriction that requires them to submit to warrantless searches. Currently, that restriction is not mandatory.

The bill would also allow any sworn officer or any probation officer to conduct those searches. The idea, said Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger is to make it easier to keep an eye on probationers. It would also seek to correct instituational failings, such as restrictions on probation officers who want to find violators.

"I think the first thing that needs to be done is we need to get bureaucracy cleaned up," Berger said.

Berger also said he is asking the state's probation officials to post on its Web site the names and photos of some 14,000 probationers that have been "lost" in the system.

The bill would also require drug testing for all probationers. Drug testing is currently ordered only in certain cases.

* Probation supervisor in Harnett County assigned regional managers to spend two days investigating an overturned potted plant in her office.

* Legislative aide for Sen. David Hoyle who joined the "steno pool" in 1959 celebrates a half-century of working at the General Assembly this week.

* Liberal columnist Chris Fitzsimon notes that 75 percent of the 78,000 state employees make less than $50,000 a year, 26 percent less than $30,000. 

* Winston-Salem Journal reporter James Romoser signs off (for now) on his always entertaining Trail Mix blog, citing lack of, you know, elections. 

Correction Secretary Theodis Beck will not be joining Governor-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

Beck is retiring effective Feb. 1, after nearly 10 years as the top official over the state's prison and probation system, Dan Kane reports.

The department is one of the state's largest with roughly 20,000 employees who oversee 37,000 inmates and 125,000 probationers or parolees. The department's budget is roughly $1 billion.

He began his career as a probation and parole officer in 1975. He has served as director of the Division of Adult Probation and Parole and as a deputy secretary in charge of the divisions for prisons and community corrections.

Beck has overseen tremendous growth in the prison system during his tenure, with several new prisons built during that period.

He currently is working to fix a probation system under fire after the high profile killings of two Triangle-area college students raised questions about how well probation officials are keeping track of offenders.