How bipartisan has Sen. Kay Hagan been?

From 1999 to 2008, the Greensboro Democrat was the primary sponsor of 143 bills. Of them, 63 had no cosponsors, 36 had only Democratic cosponsors and 44 had Republican cosponsors.

Overall, her 366 cosponsors included 286 Democrats and 80 Republicans, for about a four-to-one ratio. She became more bipartisan during her time in the legislature, however, going from about a nine-to-one ratio of D-to-R cosponsors in the 1999-2000 session to about two-to-one in the current session.

The most frequent GOP cosponsors were Sen. Fletcher Hartsell of Cabarrus County, who signed on to 14 bills; Sen. Stan Bingham of neighboring Davidson County, who signed on to 13; and Sen. Robert Shaw of Greensboro, who signed on to 10.

Sens. Hamilton Horton of Forsyth County and Richard Stevens of Wake County each cosponsored five bills; Sens. Virginia Foxx of Watauga County and John Garwood of Wilkes County, four; and Peter Brunstetter of Forsyth County and Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger of Rockingham County, three.

Sens. James Forrester, Jim Jacumin, Jerry Tillman, Austin Allran and Harry Brown cosponsored two apiece, while Sens. Don East, Andrew Brock, Eddie Goodall, Harris Blake, Kenneth Moore, Fred Smith and Tom Apodaca each cosponsored one.

Previously: Hagan's Republican cosponsors in 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2007-08 sessions.

Sen. Eddie Goodall is fighting an uphill battle to get lawmakers to give away $50 million in revenue.

Goodall, a Weddington Republican, has again filed a bill that would divert all tax money collected by the state on lottery winnings to a fund to pay for classroom supplies.

"It was logical to me. It's supposed to be an education lottery, correct?"

Money raised by ticket sales pays for four specific education priorities. But taxes collected on prize money goes to the general fund. Goodall's proposal has failed at least once before.

Goodall says the state collects as much as $50 million a year from the winnings of lottery players. That's enough, he said to give every teacher in the state (100,000) a $500 stipend to cover the cost of classroom supplies. But that would mean the state would have $50 million less to pay for other things.

Goodall said his bill hasn't gotten much attention from the education lobby. "I assume that if they're not interested in taking the money, that if they're not interested in that bill, we might have some problems," he said.

Robert Pittenger wants to Webcast the legislature.

The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor told Dome that he thinks the General Assembly should be broadcast on the Internet.

A state senator since 2002, he argued that would improve transparency and spur the Democratic leadership to open up the floor to votes on issues such as tax policy, immigration and gay marriage.

"Wouldn't it be great if the public could see the iron-fisted manner in which control of the debate is limited?" he said. "I don't think you'd see the same stronghandedness from the Democratic leadership. I think they would have an epiphany."

Pittenger said that he and state Sen. Eddie Goodall have often talked about televising the legislature. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham and the state NAACP have also called for legislative webcams.

A Virginia nonprofit is also trying the idea.

Pat McCrory shares more donors with Beverly Perdue than any other gubernatorial candidate.

Because he announced in January, the Republican candidate has not had to release any campaign finance information so far.

But a review of donations to his mayoral campaign shows that he shared 34 contributors with Perdue, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.

The list includes Nascar president Michael Helton, developer Peter Pappas, Duke Energy executive James Turner, the Piedmont Natural Gas PAC and the Little & Associates Architects PAC. Nearly all of the contributors are from Charlotte.

McCrory also shared 26 donors with Democratic candidate Richard Moore, including Derick Close, a textile executive who is Erskine Bowles' brother-in-law; Horizon Energy CEO Aubrey Hilliard; Bobcats Sports & Entertainment executive Fred Whitfield and the Piedmont Natural Gas PAC.

By contrast, McCrory shared few contributors with his Republican rivals.

He shared five contributors with state Sen. Fred Smith, including state Sen. Eddie Goodall; three with former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, including the Coca-Cola PAC; and one with Bill Graham.

Hat Tip: Paulette Stiles 

Candidates filing for local office have a new disclosure requirement.

As of Jan. 1, local candidates in North Carolina must file a form stating whether or not they have been convicted of a felony. Previously only statewide and legislative candidates had to file the form, which is available as a public record.

The conviction does not have to be disclosed if it was dimissed, reversed on appeal, pardoned or expunged, though convictions are not a disqualification for public office. Failure to disclose any other conviction is a Class 1 felony.

In 2005, Vincent Cortez Brown ran for mayor of Durham, but he was forced to drop out of the race after the N&O disclosed a lengthy criminal record he had denied.

State Sen. Eddie Goodall, a Union County Republican who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that it will bring full disclosure to elections.

"If everyone else has to disclose his or her criminal background when they apply for a job, why shouldn't we?" he said.

Fred Smith received $14,500 from political action committees by the end of 2007.

According to his mid-year and year-end campaign finance reports, the Republican gubernatorial candidate received donations from a dozen PACs.

The top contributor was Progress Energy, which gave $4,000. Wachovia gave $2,000.

Smith also received $1,000 each from Carolina Conservatives, a PAC affiliated with state Sen. Eddie Goodall; the N.C. Association of Convenience Stores; the N.C. Home Builders Association; J.M. Family Enterprises; the Manufactured Housing PAC; the N.C. Farm Bureau and Wal-Mart.

He also received $500 donations from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, PSNC Energy and the Island Preservation PAC, a Wilmington-based group focused on coastal issues.

Fred Smith is advertising in Charlotte.

In a half-page ad in the Charlotte Observer Sunday, the Republican gubernatorial candidate boasts of his endorsements from state legislators.

"The Stampede Has Begun!" crows the headline, above a picture of a herd of elephants.

The ad, which ran in color on page 22A in the Big Picture weekly section, lists 16 state representatives and 17 state senators who have endorsed Smith's campaign. It includes six from Mecklenburg County: Reps. Jim Gulley, Ric Killian, Ruth Samuelson and Thom Tillis, Sen. Eddie Goodall and former Sen. Bob Rucho.

The copy of the ad is generic, but it aims to sound local.

"The charge from our region to Raleigh is just geting started as Fred Smith, supported by an impressive assortment of local Republican leaders, is committed to providing innovative solutions to transportation, education, immigration and taxation problems in North Carolina," it reads.

Dome doesn't know if the ad is running elsewhere, but the timing may have been influenced by Mayor Pat McCrory's possible bid.

Rep. Thomas Wright was on paid leave.

The Wilmington Democrat was one of 15 state lawmakers who were paid for the two-day special session even though they didn't show up for at least one day, according to a story in the Wilmington Star-News.

As per his usual routine, Wright did not return calls to a reporter.

According to the Wilmington Star-News, checks were sent to Wright and Reps. Becky Carney, Jerry Dockham, Phil Haire, Hugh Holliman, George Holmes, Edgar Starnes, Russell Tucker and R. Tracy Walker and Sens. Katie Dorsett, Eddie Goodall, Malcolm Graham, Jim Jacumin and Clark Jenkins.

Reps. Jeff Barnhart and Ric Killian were absent and asked not to be paid. Rep. Karen Ray missed the second day and asked not to be paid for it.

Two lawmakers — Reps. Ty Harrell and Grier Martin — were present, but asked not to be paid anyway.

Correction: The absences are based on final roll-call votes on the second day of the session. Sens. Jacumin, Dorsett and Goodall were in session on Sept. 10, according to votes taken that day. No roll calls were taken in the House on Sept. 10.

For the second time in two years, legislators have ordered a study of a proposed ban on the private ownership of exotic animals.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Ed Jones, stuck the measure into an end-of-session study bill after the proposed ban drew intense criticism, Jim Nesbitt reports.

State agriculture officials, agribusiness interests and a loose coalition of private zoo and sanctuary owners, reptile keepers and trainers who conduct animal education programs in schools, churches and other venues objected to the ban. 

Backed by the Animal Protection Institute, a California-based animal rights group, the bill originally would have slapped a ban on a broad range of exotic animals for public health and safety reasons — from lions and tigers to bats, pythons, monkeys and apes.

More after the jump.

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State legislators will square off Tuesday at a Nascar rally.

Teams of senators and representatives will fight to see which would make the best pit crew.

The two teams will change the tires, refill the gas and do other pit stop maintenance on a Nextel Cup challenge car.

Led by captain "Ricky Bobby" Nesbitt, the Senate team hopes to recapture the glory of last year's win with Sens. Stan Bingham, Andrew Brock, Malcolm Graham, Kay Hagan and Eddie Goodall.

On the House side, "Tammy Jo" Earle will lead Reps. Bill Daughtridge, David Lewis, Thom Tillis, Jim Harrell, Bill Faison and Arthur Williams.

For everyone's safety, Gov. Mike Easley will not be driving.