BECAUSE SHE SAYS SO: Gov. Beverly Perdue dropped a $1.6 billion list of proposed tax increases. The sugar meant to help the bitter pill go down: some of them are temporary. The Republicans were not convinced. Speaker Joe Hackney says Perdue's pitch could help budget negotiators actually get somewhere.

POLITICAL NUMBERS: The state wasted $635 million, or 25 percent of the money it spent on community services over three years. Meanwhile, Rep. David Lewis, a Dunn Republican, launched a campaign to show that the Democrats are using faulty math in describing a budget deficit. And early this week, the legislature enacted its 272nd law of the still-going session.

BULGING INBOXES: Perdue toughened the state's policy on e-mail retention, wiping away nearly all of the discretion employees had on deciding whether a message should be kept. Some state government delete keys will appreciate the rest.

IN OTHER NEWS: Federal investigators continue to look at more details of Mary Easley's work at N.C. State University. A Senate team chugged milk fast enough to win $200 for charity. And in a debate over whether to make state laws gender neutral, Rep. George Cleveland, a Jacksonville Republican, noted that he had lots of respect for "the female race."

The House approved Monday night a bill ordering a commission to study making the state laws and constitution gender-neutral.

The General Statutes Commission, an advisory panel of law experts, would study what it would take to take the "he" out of the state's laws. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat, said the usual solution would be to use titles, such as "governor" rather than changing the text to read "he or she."

"The governor is referred to as 'he' throughout the entire constitution," Ross said. "The governor is female right now."

Rep. George Cleveland, a Jacksonville Republican, said he was not a big fan of political correctness, but his real objection was over making any changes to the state constitution.

"I have no problem with the female race whatsoever. I might be chauvinistic in a lot of ways," Cleveland said. "I have learned in my life that there are a lot of very intelligent, competent females who could lead me around by the nose...I have no problem with a female governor. I have no problem with a male governor. My problem is I want them all to be competent to lead our state."

Ross said the statutes commission does its work without compensation. And, she advised her House colleagues, the group is a big fan of multiple drafts and revision. The changes proposed in the law could take years to study.

An existing state law already says that any reference to a "he" should be read as "he or she" for legal purposes.

The bill, which was sponsored by Cary Republican Sen. Richard Stevens cleared the House 79-33. It now goes to the governor for a signature. It was not immediately known whether she would sign it.

A resolution would honor the 10th Amendment.

Rep. George Cleveland, an Onslow County Republican, filed the House resolution out of frustration at what he views as the federal government's usurpation of the state's powers.

In particular, Cleveland said he's frustrated by federal funding, such as the recent stimulus package, that comes with "strings attached" — in other words, clauses that direct how the state must spend the money.

He said he would prefer the state reject the federal help, but at the least he thinks it should object to the practice in principle.

"It's time for the states to start telling the federal government that they don't run us," he said. "We run our own states." 

The resolution says that the constitution created the federal government to be "an agent of the states," but today the states are "demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government."

It supports the state's "right to claim sovereignty" under the 10th Amendment.

A bill would fine state workers who withhold public records.

Rep. George Cleveland, an Onslow County Republican, said he filed the bill to make sure that documents that should be available to the public are, Freedom Newspapers reports.

"We have a perfectly good open records law, but there's no teeth in it," he told reporter Barry Smith.

Under the bill, public officials who violate the state's public records law could be fined up to $50 for each day they failed to produce a record without good cause. It would also require judges award attorney's fees when a member of the public successfully sues for access.

The bill would also set up an open government unit at Attorney General Roy Cooper's office.

Local government officials have opposed similar bills in the past, arguing they are not necessary since judges already can award attorney's fees.

Recent House bills of note:

H.B. 414: Judicial Appointment/Voter Retention, Rep. Johnathan Rhyne

H.B. 421: Use of Deadly Force/SBI Investigations, Rep. Kelly Alexander

H.B. 427: Counties May Fund Charter Schools, Reps. Tim Moore, George Cleveland, Larry Brown and William Current

H.B. 430: Voter Identification, Reps. Moore, Current, Paul Stam and Ric Killian

H.B. 431: Abortion-Parental Consent Notarized, Reps. Mark Hilton and Pat McElraft

H.B. 432: Conscience Protection/Health Care Providers, Rep. Hilton

Recent House bills of note:

H.B. 338: Stimulus Funds/Contractors Must Use E-Verify, Rep. Pat McElraft

H.B. 339: Taxpayer Transparency Act, Reps. McElraft, Pat Hurley, Curtis Blackwood and Hugh Blackwell

H.B. 344: Employers Must Use E-Verify Program, Reps. Wil Neumann and George Cleveland

H.B. 351: Party Change During Early Voting, Rep. Cary Allred

H.B. 361: Defense of Marriage, Reps. David Lewis, James Crawford, Pearl Burris-Floyd and Dewey Hill

H.B. 362: Access to Higher Education, Rep. Pricey Harrison, Paul Luebke, Rick Glazier and Verla Insko

Some recent House bills of note:

H.B. 266: Use of Deadly Force/Public Web Site, Rep. Elmer Floyd

H.B. 269: Concealed Handgun Permit Valid in Parks, Reps. Mark Hilton, Justin Burr, George Cleveland and Jim Gulley

H.B. 270: Personal Protection in Restaurants, Reps. Hilton, Fred Steen, Burr and Cleveland

H.B. 275: Sex Offenders Can't be EMS Personnel, Reps. Carolyn Justus, Annie Mobley and Shirley Randleman

Some interesting recent House bills:

H.B. 223: No High School Graduation Project Required, Reps. Jimmy Love and Angela Bryant

H.B. 232: Scholarship Loan for Rural Social Workers, Reps. Larry Bell, Rick Glazier, Marvin Lucas, Marian McLawhorn

H.B. 257: No Seizure of Lawful Firearms in Emergency, Reps. George Cleveland, Mark Hilton, Tim Moore and Laura Wiley

A few of the interesting new House bills:

H.B. 74: Spend 65% of School Funds in Classroom, Rep. John Blust

H.B. 75: Salary Funds/Spend Only for Salaries, Rep. Blust

H.B. 76: School Board Candidate Filing Fee, Reps. Rick Glazier, Doug Yongue

H.B. 78: Honor Jimmy Johnson, NASCAR Nextel Champ, Rep. Bill Owens

H.B. 83: Modify Out-of-State Tuition Exemption, Reps. Pricey Harrison, George Cleveland, Wil Neumann, Jennifer Weiss