State Rep. Alma Adams will again chair the Legislative Black Caucus.

At a meeting on Dec. 4, the caucus unanimously re-elected the Greensboro Democrat to a second term as chairwoman, despite speculation that she may take a role in Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

Sen. Malcolm Graham was also chosen as first vice chair; Rep. Earline Parmon, second vice chair; Rep. Annie Mobley, secretary; Sen. Tony Foriest, treasurer; Rep. Garland Pierce, caucus chaplain; and Sen. Floyd McKissick, parliamentarian.

According to a press release, the caucus' goal is to promote legislative policies "responsive to the needs of all North Carolinians, particularly African Americans." In recent years, it has played a role in passing the state's Earned Income Tax Credit, among other things.

In 2007, the caucus was criticized when it was revealed that relatives of five members received college scholarships from its foundation.

The caucus will now have 31 members, including newly elected Reps. Elmer Floyd of Fayetteville, Pearl Burris Floyd of Gaston County and Nick Mackey of Charlotte and Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill. In 2007, it had just 28 members.

Burris Floyd will be the group's only Republican.

SEANC gave $194,800 in North Carolina races this year.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina gave $89,300 to 53 state House candidates, $79,000 to 28 Senate candidates an $16,000 to four statewide candidates. Seventy-six recipients were Democrats, and nine were Republicans.

The largest donations went to House challenger Jimmy Garner and Sen. Floyd McKissick, who each received $8,000; and House challenger Betty Mangum and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell, Steve Goss, Ellie Kinnaird, who received $5,000 apiece.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton, agriculture commissioner candidate Ronnie Ansley and labor commissioner candidate Mary Fant Donnan, all Democrats, each received $4,000.

Fifty-five of the candidates were incumbents, 19 were challenging an incumbent and 11 were running for open seats. 

The state workers group also gave $4,000 to the state House Republican committee, $1,000 to the Senate Democratic committee and $500 to the House Democratic committee.

In addition, SEANC gave $5,000 to the Alliance for North Carolina. 

The Durham meals tax is back.

In a hastily-called meeting, the Senate Finance committee approved a proposal allowing Durham to impose a 1 percent tax on restaurant meals.

Sen. Floyd McKissick, a Durham Democrat, had been struggling to find enough votes to get the bill, which the state restaurant trade association opposed, out of committee and to a full Senate vote.

The committee had voted to kill the bill about an hour earlier, but McKissick found a senator who opposed it the first time to ask for a new vote.

The proposed Durham meal tax died before noon Wednesday in a quick committee vote on the Senate floor.

Sen. Floyd McKissick, a Durham Democrat, told committee members they would not be voting to impose a tax. But in a voice vote, the noes easily overwhelmed the ayes.

Durham wanted permission to hold a vote on a 1 percent tax on prepared meals. The N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association opposed it. The bill barely got out of the House and barring some parliamentary miracle, is dead for the year.  

For the second time in two days, state Sen. Floyd McKissick asked the chamber's Finance Committee to skip debate on a proposed bill that would allow Durham to vote on a 1 percent tax on restaurant meals.

If the bill passes, it's going to be close, McKissick said. Likely bill supporters have not attended committee meetings this week, he said, so he asked to pull it.

"It's a tough one," McKissick said. "A lot depends on who's in town, who's out of town, that kind of stuff," he said.

He said he's ask for an unscheduled committee meeting on the Senate floor to get a vote.

The N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association is fighting the bill, and it bearly got out of the House.

McKissick, a Durham Democrat, said a tax vote is tough this election year, with members facing competitive races worrying that their 'aye' votes will be characterized as votes for tax increases.

Barack Obama will give a speech on the economy at the N.C. State Fairgrounds today.

Dome is at the event, where doors opened about a half hour ago.

So far, we've spotted a few of the usual suspects: U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, state Sen. Floyd McKissick, state Reps. Dan Blue and Ty Harrell, former lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger, former Raleigh City Councilman Brad Thompson and Capstrat founder Ken Eudy.

The campaign of Sen. Janet Cowell, who is running for state treasurer and lives nearby, is handing out fliers at the front of the Exposition Center building.

Update: Also in the crowd: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, House Speaker Joe Hackney, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, superdelegate David Parker, former state Auditor Ralph Campbell, state Reps. Linda Coleman and Jennifer Weiss, and Raleigh businessman John Crumpler.

State Treasurer Richard Moore just wandered through the press section by mistake and Dome asked what he was doing in our less illustrious section of the room.

"I don't know, but I'm going to do my best to get out of here," he said. 

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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Walter Dalton received the endorsements of several black leaders.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor was endorsed by the George C. Simkins Political Action Committee, a major African-American PAC in Greensboro.

He also been endorsed by former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton, former state Auditor Ralph Campbell and the entire state Senate Black Caucus: Sens. Charlie Dannelly, Katie Dorsett, Tony Foriest, Malcolm Graham, Ed Jones, Vern Malone, Floyd McKissick and Larry Shaw.

Dalton has been a state senator since 1996. 

"I am extremely honored to have the endorsement of the Simkins Committee and African-American leaders across the state," Dalton said in a statement. "Their support reflects my commitment to making the lives of all North Carolinians better and creating opportunities for everyone to succeed."

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.

Under a bill approved by a Senate committee this week, one of the chamber's new members would not have been eligible for appointment to his job.

Sen. Floyd B. McKissick Jr., a Democrat appointed last month, does not live in the district he represents though he owns a house there. McKissick said he has owned homes in each of Durham's Senate districts since 1993.

"I could be a permanent resident within 48 hours," he said. "It's all a matter of where you decide to sleep."

The house is being renovated, McKissick said, and he will establish residency.

The proposed legislation would require an appointee to an office be qualified to vote for that office on the day of appointment.

The issue came up earlier this year in connection with a House appointment. A letter from a special deputy Attorney General said an appointee does not have to live in the district for one year or be a qualified voter in the district.

Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham, the Democrat who replaced former House speaker Jim Black, also moved to her district shortly before her appointment this year.

McKissick would have to live in the district to be qualified to run in the next election.