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There have been a lot of firsts this election — first African-American president, first woman governor.

But one first has been overlooked.

Pearl Burris Floyd was elected the first black Republican woman to North Carolina's state legislature.

Floyd, a Gaston County commissioner, won the state House seat previously held by Rep. Debbie Clary, who was elected to the Senate, Rob Christensen reports.

Floyd is the anatomic pathology section chief at Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. She campaigned as "a thoughtful conservative" and her website includes a picture of her with President Bush — a rarity in this political season.

She was also the flrst black Gaston County commissioner.

Gov. Mike Easley will sign Jessica's Law today.

The legislation will impose stricter penalties on sex offenders, making the minimum prison sentence 25 years for adults who commit certain sex crimes against children under 13.

The bill was inspired by the 2005 rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who lived in Gaston County most of her life before moving to Florida.

Monroe resident Jeff Gerber founed the Coalition for Jessica's Law to push the bill, saying he was frustrated by the nearly two-year delay in the legislature.  

"It infuriated me," he said. "You would have thought North Carolina would have been the first to have this law since Jessica was from here." 

Easley will sign the bill at 2 p.m. at Gastonia City Hall. (AP)

Gaston County Republicans may be breathing a little easier.

Vice President Dick Cheney won't be attending tomorrow's Shotgun Social near Gastonia. The Gaston County GOP invited Cheney to what party officials call the first shotgun fundraiser in North Carolina, Jim Morrill reports.

For $80, participants can shoot at clay targets. Non-shooters pay $30.

In 2006, Cheney accidentally shot a friend in the face while hunting in Texas.

Neil Moore, the Gaston GOP chairman, said he's not surprised that the vice president wouldn't attend an event where, after all, everybody is armed.

"It would take a small army of Secret Service to block off the area," Moore said.

The shotgun social will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kings Pinnacle Development on Unity Church Road. For tickets, call 704-868-3330.

A legislative committee looked into the 287(g) program Tuesday.

Sheriff's offices in Alamance, Gaston and Mecklenburg counties are currently using the federal program to train deputies in immigration enforcement. Cabarrus County will soon start as well.

Under the program, deputies screen inmates who have been charged with felonies or drunk driving to see if they are legally in the United States. If they're not, deputies can refer them to the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last year, the legislature appropriated $750,000 to the N.C. Sheriff's Association to assist with training.

State Sen. Ed Jones said he is concerned about the risk of ethnic profiling.

"What does an illegal alien look like or sound like is what my problem is," he said. "I don't know if there's a simple way out of this or not." (Burlington Times-News)