Kay Hagan can thank redistricting for her budget-writing powers.

After a Republican lawsuit made its way to the Supreme Court, a Superior Court judge drew districts more favorable to the GOP that eventually put the Senate's three budget co-chairs out of office:

Sen. Aaron Plyer: After 14 terms in the Senate, the Monroe Democrat, was drawn into a district with just 35 percent Democrats. He chose not to run again and was replaced by then Rep. Fern Shubert.

Sen. Fountain Odom: A seven-term senator, Odom was drawn into a district with 32 percent Democrats. He lost an expensive race against Robert Pittenger, now a candidate for lieutenant governor.

Sen. Howard Lee: The former Chapel Hill mayor was forced to run against fellow Democratic Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, losing by 119 votes. He now heads the state Board of Education.

With the three budget writers gone, Senate leader Marc Basnight tapped three younger legislators: Hagan, Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton and Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem.

"She'll go outside of that box," Basnight said of Hagan. "She'll do a bang-up job."

The names and ages of children participating in local parks and rec programs will not be public record, under a bill the Senate approved Wednesday with a vote of 34-12.

The bill now goes to Gov. Mike Easley for his signature.

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, said the measure exempting children's personal information from the state public records law is needed to protect them from sexual predators, Lynn Bonner reports.

Opponents said the bill is trying to solve a problem that does not exist and would make it harder for newspapers to get information on parks and rec team athletes. 

There were no clear answers whether parents would have to sign permission slips allowing their children's names to be published in newspapers under team pictures.

More after the jump.

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The Senate Finance Committee today approved a repeal of the land transfer tax option that lawmakers gave to counties last year.

The option would allow counties to increase their land transfer tax by up to .4 percent. So far, 19 counties have held referendums to increase the tax and all have failed.

State Sen. David Hoyle, a Gaston County Democrat who sponsored the bill, said those failures show the public does not want it.

"Babe Ruth would not be happy with this record — they all struck out," said Hoyle, who is a finance committee co-chairman. "The people feel in my district, and in talking to folks around the state, that they should not continue to have this issue hanging over their heads."

The vote was not unanimous. Two senators spoke out against the repeal.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, said that the six counties with a one percent land transfer tax, all in Senate leader Marc Basnight's district, have kept property taxes down while providing more money for schools.

"It is one of the most successful (tax options) that we've had," she said.

She said some counties might have passed the tax if Realtors and homebuilders hadn't spent heavily on advertising campaigns against it.

The legislation moves to the full Senate. It would also need approval in the House, where it faces stiff opposition from Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat.

He prevented a repeal from being placed in the House budget bill passed last week, and a majority of House members backed his ruling.

Raleigh police charged two adults with sodomy this weekend.

After a call Saturday about an assault, police charged two West Raleigh men with a "crime against nature" — a Class I felony — for having sex early that morning, Matthew Eisley reports. Each faces up to two years in prison if convicted.

The charge was filed under General Statute 14-177, a century old law most recently revised in 1994. But the U.S. Supreme Court appears to have declared such charges unconstitutional in its landmark Lawrence v. Texas case in 2003.

"The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives," the high court ruled in that case. "The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime."

An attorney for the Raleigh police told officers after the ruling that they could charge people for committing those acts in public, but not in private.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, said she has tried for years to get the statute rescinded, but the legislature has not agreed. (Bills in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005 were sent to committee. A similar bill in 1993 was reported unfavorably.)

"I press it every year," she said. "It would be politically difficult, but that doesn't matter — it's unconstitutional."

Barack Obama earned the endorsement of 29 state legislators today.

Led by Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand and former Speaker of the House Dan Blue, the lawmakers repeated the same lines as endorsers who have backed Obama before — that the Illinois senator can bring people together and ignite change across the country.

Blue also challenged the Clinton campaign to keep it positive in North Carolina, saying he had seen nothing but negativity so far in Pennsylvania.

"I hope this is not what we can should expect to come to North Carolina in the next two weeks," Blue said. "Tired old political tactics aren’t going to bring about the kind of change we need."

Blue and Rand said their support comes in part because Obama will help Democrats down the ticket, and because he has committed to win in North Carolina in November’s general election.

Rand said the group will raise money and stump for Obama if  members are asked.

Rand also praised Obama’s ability to raise millions of dollars in part on the strength of $100 donations.

"We're prepared to do whatever. I mean, I'll give him a hundred," Rand said.

After the jump, the list of endorsements.

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The State Employees Assocation of N.C. announced its endorsements in legislative primary races.

The group, which represents 55,000 state workers, endorsed 13 candidates for the state House and 12 candidates for state Senate through its political action committee.

Seven of the candidates are Republicans: Rep. Jeff Barnhart; House candidates George Shaeffer, Sidney Sandy, Nalin Mehta and Shirley Randleman; and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell and Jim Jacumin.

In two cases, it endorsed candidates running against each other: state Sen. Vern Malone and rival Ann Akland; and Senate candidates Jack Nichols and Josh Stein.

In the House, the PAC also endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant, Edith Warren and Drew Saunders and candidates Robert Richardson, Greg Taylor, Charles Graham, Betty Mangum and Ric Marshall.

In the Senate, it endorsed Sens. Floyd McKissick, Ellie Kinnaird, Katie Dorsett and Steve Goss and candidates Shelly Willingham and Chuck Stone.

"We're happy to be able to support candidates who care about quality public services and the employees who work so hard to make this state one of the best places to live," said PAC chairwoman Paula Schubert in a statement.

The political action committee of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina has made its endorsements.

In statewide races, the group has endorsed Janet Cowell for state treasurer, June Atkinson for superintendent of public instruction, both Democrats.

For state Senate races, the group endorsed Sens. Katie Dorsett of Guilford County and Ellie Kinnaird of Carrboro, both Democrats.

In state House races, it endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant of Rocky Mount and Tricia Cotham of Charlotte, both Democrats.

"The Action Fund proudly supports leaders who stand up for young people by supporting real sex education and who fight for greater access to reproductive health services for all," said president Janet Colm in a statement.

NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina has announced its endorsements.

The pro-choice group's political action committee is backing Superintendent June Atkinson, Reps. Angela Bryant of Rocky Mount and Tricia Cotham of Charlotte and Sen. Ellie Kinnaird of Carrboro.

All four face primary opponents and have a history of supporting NARAL's legislative goals.

Executive Director Melissa Reed noted that the 2008 elections are the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

"NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina plans to lead the way in building a pro-choice voting block to elect pro-choice leaders who will stand up for women’s freedom and privacy," she said in a statement.

Current and former women legislators have endorsed Richard Moore.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Reps. Pricey Harrison andd Maggie Jeffus and former Reps. Marie Watters Colton, Ruth Cook and Bertha "B." Merrill Holt have announced their support of the state treasurer's gubernatorial campaign.

In an open letter, six women praise his "steady leadership."

Richard has built this record of achievement through hard work and by surrounding himself with a diverse and highly talented professional team, including the first African American female chief investment officer to run a public pension plan. In fact, more than half of Richard's current leadership team is female, including his chief of staff.

"I am honored that such an outstanding group of women leaders support my candidacy," Moore said in a statement.

He faces Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue in the Democratic primary.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird announced today she is running.

As recently as yesterday, the six-term senator, a Carrboro Democrat, had been coy about whether she planned to run for re-election, saying she had until February to decide, Lynn Bonner reports.

But potential successors had been announcing their interest in the seat, including Orange County commissioners Moses Carey and Mike Nelson, and Carrboro Alderman John Herrera.

Herrera said he will honor his promise and drop out of the race since Kinnaird has decided to run again.

Carey said he's still in.

"The fact that she's changed her mind doesn't mean I'm going to change mine," he said.

Kinnaird had discussed her retirement with potential candidates, but made it known she wanted a woman to run to replace her.

Kinnaird's campaign sent an announcement Tuesday saying that she wanted to work for affordable health insurance for everyone, focused economic development efforts in needy areas, and a ban on executing the mentally ill.

Update: Nelson said he's also out of the race.