Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Chapel Hill Democrat, has joined the ranks of those calling for an investigation of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina's recent mailing.

Just weeks after raising its premiums, the insurer mailed flyers that encouraged recipients to send the attached postcard to U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan encouraging her to oppose a health care reform proposal in Congress to create a government run health plan.

Kinnaird asked Attorney General Roy Cooper and Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin to examine whether the insurer violated the state's "do not call" registry or the restrictions on political activity by nonprofits, of which BCBS is one.

Other public officials, including Pitt County commissioners, have made similar requests for an inquiry.

The Conservation Council of N.C. recognized seven state politicians for environmental work.

For its annual "Green Tie" awards, the Raleigh-based nonprofit honored Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird and state Reps. Angela Bryant, Ruth Samuelson, Cullie Tarleton, Jennifer Weiss and Paul Luebke.

Cooper was praised for having a team of lawyers fight the Tennessee Valley Authority over air pollution.

Bryant, Samuelson and Tarleton were recognized for their support for a smoking ban and bills on energy efficiency and water conservation.

Weiss and Kinnaird were singled out as representative and senator of the year.

Luebke received the "Defender of the Environment" award, the highest award given this year. 

"At the Legislature, it was a short time ago very few people talked about the need to protect the environment and public health," said board president Nina Szlosberg.

She said business and environmental groups now work together.

A major fix for the State Health Plan is ready for a Senate vote.

The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved legislation that would cost the general fund $250 million for the current fiscal year ending June 30, and another $609 million for the next two fiscal years, Dan Kane reports.

The legislation also reduces benefits to the roughly 667,000 state employees, teachers and retirees on the health plan by raising co-payments and deductibles.

The committee rejected an amendment offered by state Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, that would open up plan contracts to the public. He offered the amendment on behalf of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, a group that has questioned the need to cut benefits for employees.

State law keeps nearly all the details of contracts the plan has with vendors secret. Berger said the secrecy prevents the public from having information to make informed decisions about the plan's operations.

"I think now more than ever there needs to be an opening of this process so there is more information," Berger said.

More after the jump.

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Recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 461: North Carolina Racial Justice Act, Sen. Floyd McKissick

S.B. 478: Modify School Calendar Law, Sen. Don East

S.B. 491: Expunge Nonviolent Crimes, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

S.B. 500: Raise Homestead Exclusion Income Limit, Sen. Austin Allran

S.B. 515: Prohibit Penning of Wildlife, Sen. Neal Hunt

S.B. 520: NC to Consider Off Shore Drilling, Sen. James Forrester

S.B. 525: Video Game Producer Tax Credit, Sen. Julia Boseman

A bill would raise legislative pay and mileage reimbursement rates automatically.

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, said she filed the bill to help pay for state lawmakers keep pace with inflation and increased demands.

When contacted by a reporter, she said she already had visions of editorials and political ads slamming legislators for talking about their own salaries during a bad budget year.

"Somebody is going to say we're feathering our own nest," she said. "Believe me, we don't even have sticks here. It's more like barbed wire."

Under the bill, the annual salary for legislators would increase at the same percentage rate as any across-the-board pay raises for state workers. The mileage reimbursement for legislative travel would also be tied to the federal rate.

Legislators currently make $13,951 and receive a $104 per diem every day they're in session. The mileage rate is currently 29 cents per mile.

In recent years, state workers have gotten raises of a couple percent a year, but they will likely not see any this year or next. The federal mileage rate is currently 55 cents.

Some recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 386: Make Best Use of Corporate Tax Revenue, Sen. Dan Clodfelter

S.B. 397: Increase Cap on Charter Schools, Sen. Debbie Clary

S.B. 400: No Increase in UNC In-State Tuition or Fees, Sen. Tom Apodaca

S.B. 403: Victims Compensation Amendment, Sen. Doug Berger

S.B. 410: Increase Cig. Tax/Proceeds to MHTF, Sen. Martin Nesbitt

S.B. 417: National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Sen. Clodfelter

S.B. 426: Legislative Compensation, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

Some recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 351: No Felon as Sheriff, Sen. Stan Bingham

S.B. 353: N.C. Human Trafficking Commission, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

S.B. 362: Retired Teachers Return to Work, Sen. A.B. Swindell

Here are the chairs of the other Senate committees, the senators who often decide what bills get debated and voted on by the committee.

Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources -- Sen. Bob Atwater, Chapel Hill Democrat

Commerce -- Sen. R.C. Soles, Tabor City Democrat

Education -- Sen. Vernon Malone, Raleigh Democrat and Sen. Richard Stevens, Cary Republican

Finance -- Sen. David Hoyle, Dallas Democrat; Sen. Dan Clodfelter, Charlotte Democrat and Sen. Clark Jenkins, Tarboro Democrat

Health Care -- Sen. William Purcell, Laurinburg Democrat and Sen. Stan Bingham, Denton Republican

Judiciary 1 -- Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Asheville Democrat

Judiciary 2 -- Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, Concord Republican

Mental Health and Youth Services -- Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Carrboro Democrat and Sen. Malcolm Graham, Charlotte Democrat

Pensions/Retirement/Aging -- Sen. Tony Foriest, Graham Democrat

Rules -- Sen. Tony Rand, Fayetteville Democrat

State and Local Government -- Sen. Ed Jones, Enfield Democrat and Sen. Don East, Pilot Mountain Republican

Transportation -- Sen. Larry Shaw, Fayetteville Democrat

Ways & Means -- Sen. Charlie Dannelly, Charlotte Democrat

Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology -- Sen. Katie Dorsett, Greensboro Democrat and Sen. Joe Sam Queen, Waynesville Democrat

The state Senate will have six women next session.

Three of the women are from major urban areas: Sens. Julia Boseman of Wilmington, Katie Dorsett of Greensboro and Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem.

A fourth, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, is from Carrboro, a liberal enclave near UNC-Chapel Hill.

Only two come from small towns: Sen. Jean Preston of Emerald Isle (population 3,855) and incoming Sen. Debbie Clary of Cherryville (population 5,680), about an hour drive from Charlotte. They are the only Republicans.

Coincidentally or not, both Preston and Clary served seven terms in the state House before being elected senator. None of the other female senators served in the House.

Two former female senators from urban areas have since won statewide races. Former Sen. Janet Cowell of Raleigh was elected state treasurer in November, while former Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro was elected U.S. senator.

As noted previously, rural areas have been slow to elect women.

The women make up 12 percent of the 50-member Senate.

State Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, is engaged to Daniel Pollitt, retired UNC-Chapel Hill law professor and longtime civil rights advocate.

"We're trying to keep this low key," Kinnaird told Dome, "but that's very hard to do."

Word leaked out last week in The Carrboro Citizen.

The pair have not set a date, though Pollitt said the wedding likely will be in the spring.

Kinnaird, 77, is a reliable voice in the Senate for liberal causes. She's finishing her sixth term. The two have known each other for years, and Kinnaird said they have enjoyed "a mutual journey." She has been divorced since 1980.

Pollitt, a widower, retired from UNC's law school in 1991. He's 87 years old and still teaches in a program for retirees at Duke University.

Neither would provide details of the proposal.