It was a week for follow-ups.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon Friday included several updates on news items from the recent past.

1. The Eason Ultimatum? The N.C. Department of Agriculture says it never threatened the job of a staffer who refused to lower the flag, though an e-mail said he might be fired. Is that a penultimatum?

2. Billions and Billions. The N.C. Senate signs off on a $21.4 billion budget that includes more than $850 million in capital construction projects. We'd settle for a rounding error.

3. Roman Holiday. N.C. Commerce secretary Jim Fain billed the state only $1,218 for his part of a state trip to Italy in April. Heck, some people spend almost that much to see the Russian ballet.

4. You Never Call Anymore. Nearly five million North Carolina phone numbers have been placed on the federal "Do Not Call" registry since it started. Now, can we do something about our e-mail spam?

5. About Schmidt. Gov. Mike Easley's office is looking into the rehiring of a Department of Transportation employee who was fired after a racial confrontation. We have nothing funny to say about that.

It's been five years since the federal government told telemarketers to knock it off.

Nearly five million North Carolina telephone numbers have been placed on the Do Not Call Registry since it started in July of 2003, state Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a news release.

"Across our state, people tell me that the Do Not Call list is working," Cooper said in the release. "Families are able to eat dinner in peace without someone calling every five minutes to try to sell them something they don’t want."

North Carolinians can add their home and mobile telephone numbers to the list by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number they wish to register or by visiting www.donotcall.gov.

More after the jump.

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Attorney General Roy Cooper said the "Lamont Williams" calls were illegal.

In a statement, the attorney general said that automated calls from Women's Voices Women Vote that encouraged voters to mail in voter registration forms after the state's deadlines violated state law by failing to disclose who sponsored the call or give contact information.

"Regardless of the motivation, the robo-calls violated the law and they needed to stop," Cooper said in a statement.

The organization told the attorney general's office today that the calls would stop. Cooper's office did not say if the group would face any sanctions for making the calls.

Cooper also urged political parties and campaigns to honor the Do Not Call Registry, although it does not currently cover political robocalls. He encouraged voters with concerns to call the state's telemarketing hotline, 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

Update: Cooper spokewoman Jennifer Canada said the attorney general's office will continue to investigate the calls before deciding on any sanctions. 

Roy Cooper wants candidates to respect the Do Not Call Registry.

The state attorney general urged political campaigns to voluntarily respect the registry in a letter to the Republican and Democratic parties Friday. 

"People in North Carolina who have signed up for the Do Not Call Registry have said loud and clear that they don't want to be bothered with telephone solicitations," he wrote.

He also spoke before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday, urging them to pass national restrictions.

The 2003 law, which Cooper helped pass, protects North Carolinians who register from commerical, but not political telephone solicitations. There are currently four million phone numbers on the state's Do Not Call Registry.

Under the current law, political robo calls, automated messages from candidates, must identify who is calling, the nature of the call and provide contact information.

His office received hundreds of complaints following unwanted calls during the 2006 election. In 2007, Cooper began pushing state Senate Bill 1002, which prohibits candidates and parties from making robocalls. It has not yet passed.