Spotted at last night's NCAA championship game in Detroit:

Gov. Beverly Perdue
U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre
UNC President Erskine Bowles
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp
State Sen. Don Vaughan
Former UNC Board Chairman Jim Phillips
Lobbyist Johnny Tillett
Former Treasurer candidate Michael Weisel 

See any other political types at the game? E-mail dome@newsobserver.com. 

From Democracy North Carolina's 2007 lobbyist report:

* Don Beason, who retired after a shady loan to disgraced Speaker Jim Black became public, reported earning $145,521 from 16 clients, putting him in 29th place.

* His son, Mark, reported earning $279,423 from 16 clients, putting him in sixth place.

* Elizabeth Dalton, daughter of Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, reported earning $79,343 from five clients, for 56th place.

* Courtney Crowder, now a lobbyist for Gov. Beverly Perdue, reported earning $42,794 from 10 clients, for 116th place.

* Lanier Cansler, now secretary of Health and Human Services, reported earning $31,110 from four clients, for 159th place.

* Don Vaughan, who was elected a state senator last year, reported earning $22,500 from one client, for 206th place.

A bill would ensure certain drunk drivers spent a night in jail.

Sen. Don Vaughan, a Greensboro Democrat, said he filed the bill because he thinks some first-time offenders don't realize the gravity of their mistake and drive drunk again.

Under the bill, drivers who blow a .20 — more than double the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol — would be required to spend at least one night in jail.

Currently, many do only community service, Vaughan said.

"Having practiced law for better than 25 years and seen a lot of jails — at least in the Piedmont — I believe it'll be a great deterrent for most people going in," he said.

All these years later, state Sen. Don Vaughan is still cheering for the Tar Heels.

As an undergrad at UNC-Chapel Hill in the early 1970s — what he calls his "tall and thin days" — the Greensboro Democrat was a cheerleader. (For the curious, he's posted a picture on his Facebook page.)

But tomorrow, he'll be following cheers from the crowd. Vaughan scored tickets to the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament in Atlanta from a family connection. His father-in-law recently retired from the ACC.

Constituents don't need to worry, unless they're rooting for Duke.

Vaughan said he'll leave after session tonight and he'll be checking his cell phone and e-mail while he's away. 

"I'm not missing any legislative business," he said in an e-mail to Dome.

* Attorney General Roy Cooper tells WTVD that he'll make a decision about whether to run for U.S. Senate in 2010 "very soon." (H/T: Draft Coop)

* Democratic consultant Gary Pearce says U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler's anti-stimulus vote may cost him heavily in the 2010 Senate primary.

* After getting stuck on his first day at the legislature, Sen. Don Vaughan files a bill requiring elevators be numbered to help firefighters find them.

* Republican Sen. Andrew Brock files a bill that would move North Carolina's presidential primary up three months to February.

Which legislators have tobacco companies in their districts?

With the General Assembly again considering enacting a smoking ban in restaurants and workplaces, Dome decided to see who represents the tobacco firms.

Alternative Brands, Mocksville:
Rep. Julia Howard, Sen. Andrew Brock

Commonwealth Brands, Reidsville:
Rep. Nelson Cole, Sen. Phil Berger

Lorillard, Greensboro:
Rep. Maggie Jeffus, Sen. Don Vaughan

Philip Morris, Concord:
Rep. Jeff Barnhart, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell

Reynolds American, Winston-Salem:
Rep. Larry Womble, Sen. Linda Garrou

Reynolds American, Tobaccoville:
Rep. Dale Folwell, Sen. Pete Brunstetter

In the 2007 session, Reps. Howard, Jeffus, Barnhart and Womble voted for a smoking ban in public places, while Reps. Cole and Folwell voted against it.

Freshman Sen. Don Vaughan almost didn't make it for the swearing-in ceremony.

Vaughan, a Greensboro lawyer and former City Councilman, was stuck in a legislative elevator along with several other passengers for 20 minutes before being rescued.

"I was wondering whether they do that to all freshmen senators," he quipped.

When do legislators start their jobs?

As noted previously, there is some dispute over when exactly Gov. Beverly Perdue's term began. As it turns out, there's a similar situation for state representatives and senators.

According to Article II, Section 9 of the state constitution, the terms of office "shall commence on the first day of January."

This year, most legislators won't be sworn in until the opening day ceremony on Jan. 28, but their terms have already begun in other days. The legislative Web site has already been updated to include the newly elected, and they began receiving their paychecks on Jan. 1.

A few freshman legislators have decided to get started early.

Sen. Josh Stein of Raleigh was sworn in today at noon in a ceremony in the capitol, while Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte was sworn in there.

Update: Justice Robin Hudson swore in Stein before a crowd of about 250 people, including Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Sen. Marc Basnight and Rep. Deborah Ross, among others.

"I thought it would be nice to have an opportunity to be with supporters and friends to thank them because (the campaign) as a collective effort," he said.

He said Sens. Don Vaughan and Don Davis will also hold early swearings-in.

Freshman legislators are learning the ropes today and tomorrow.

During a two-day orientation, five newly elected state senators and a number of new representatives are learning how to make their way through the General Assembly, literally and figuratively.

Sen.-elect Don Vaughan said the group has heard welcome speeches from Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate leader Marc Basnight, but the more critical information has been about logistics.

"Everybody's pretty green, and there are a lot of questions about how to get around the legislative building, where the Senate floor is, how many seats are in the Senate — basic types of things," he said.

Vaughan, a seven-term member of the Greensboro City Council and longtime lawyer, said the bill-writing part is not new to him, though he was interested to learn about the legislative Web site and get tips from state capital police about emergency procedures.

He said he also wants to do well in the former seat of U.S. Sen.-elect Kay Hagan.

"They are certainly big shoes to fill," he said. "Kay Hagan has been an outstanding member here for 10 years, so I'm here to learn and hit the ground running."

New legislators will have a second orientation on Jan. 7-8 at the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Related: Basnight tells freshmen special interests are "in every shadow, in every corner."

The Senate class of 2008 has some big shoes to fill.

For the most part, the freshman senators are taking the seats of lawmakers who went on to higher offices — or at least ran for higher office.

The five (or six, depending on your definition) may face higher expectations as a result.

Here's a quick look at the new senators-elect:

Don Vaughan (D): A politically active Greensboro attorney who served seven terms on the City Council will be taking the seat of U.S. Sen.-elect Kay Hagan.

David Rouzer (R): A former aide to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms from McGee's Crossroads will take over the Johnston County seat of unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith.

Debbie Clary (R): The state representative from Cherryville, the sole Republican win from its November wishlist, will take the seat of Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton.

Josh Stein (D): A well-connected Raleigh lawyer who worked for John Edwards' in D.C. and served as deputy attorney general will be taking the Raleigh seat of Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell.

Don Davis (D): An Air Force veteran, college professor and the popular (and youngest ever) mayor of Snow Hill will be taking the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr III.

Bob Rucho (R): A former four-term state senator, appointed to unsuccessful lieutenant governor candidate Robert Pittenger's seat in June, is already running for a leadership role.

Correction: An earlier version misstated the length of Vaughan's tenure.

Related: The House Class of 2008