The State Board of Elections will convene hearings into the campaign finance activities of former Gov. Mike Easley.

The stakes for Easley will be high. Over the last decade, the board has established itself as a first step in corruption investigations. The board's hearings helped lead to the downfall of an Agriculture Commissioner, House member and House Speaker.

1998: Hog farmers and Republican House leaders

2002: Meg Scott Phipps

2006: Jim Black

2007: Mary McAllister

2007: Thomas Wright

2009: Mike Easley

Look for plenty of coverage, analysis, pictures and video next week here at Dome, at newsobserver.com and on the new Investigations blog, which launches Sunday. This weekend watch for stories in The News & Observer.

The current role of the State Board of Elections as a key enforcer of corruption laws began in April 1998.

The board will convene hearings about the campaign finance dealings of former Gov. Mike Easley next week.

The board was investigating allegations involving disputes between hog farmers and the Republican leadership that controlled the state House at the time.

Famers accused Republicans of using the threat of industry regulations to whip up campaign contributions. The board was also investigating whether an organization for farmers had operated as a political action committee without registering.

The Board cleared then-House Speaker Harold Brubaker of any wrong-doing. The hearing was notable for a successful stand the board took against witnesses who refused to show up.

A poultry magnate, Marvin Johnson told the board to "kiss my..." The board directed state law enforcement agents to arrest anyone who wouldn't cooperate. The witnesses decided to show up. 

Some recent House bills of note:

H.B. 433: Change Corporate Income Tax, Rep. Harold Brubaker

H.B. 442: Parental Involvement in School Discipline, Reps. Martha Alexander, Susan Fisher, Rick Glazier and Earline Parmon

H.B. 443: Increase Class Size in the Public Schools, Reps. Paul Stam and Laura Wiley

H.B. 453: Increase Cig. Tax/Proceeds to MHTF, Reps. Verla Insko, Beverly Earle and Alexander

H.B. 494: Superior Court Judge May Perform Marriage, Reps. William Wainwright, Dan Blue and Garland Pierce

H.B. 504: Tax Credit for Energy-Efficient Homes, Reps. Fisher, Pricey Harrison, Bruce Goforth and Ruth Samuelson

Roger Bone may get one last bill through the legislature.

The former lawmaker and longtime lobbyist, who died on Jan. 25 of cancer, had his hand in a number of bills over the years.

Now, the legislature is set to recognize his achievements with a joint resolution.

The resolution "honors the life and memory of Roger Bone and expresses the appreciation of this State and its citizens for the service he rendered," it reads.

Bone served in the 1979 session of the House, later worked as a legislative liaison to Speaker Liston Ramsey, and founded his own lobbying firm in 1987.

The bill is sponsored by House Democratic Leader Hugh Holliman and longtime Reps. William Wainwright, Harold Brubaker and Dan Blue.

Two more interesting House bills:

H.B. 71: Four-Year Terms, Reps. Bruce Goforth, Harold Brubaker, Becky Carney, Julia Howard

H.B. 72: Four-Year Terms Implementing Statute, Reps. Goforth, Brubaker, Carney, Howard

A few more bills have been filed in the House:

H.B. 15: Military Family Assistance Center / Funds, Rep. Cullie Tarleton

H.B. 16: Retired Judge May Perform Marriage, Rep. Russell Tucker

H.B. 17: Asheboro Satellite Annexation, Rep. Harold Brubaker

H.B. 18: Speech Language Pathologist Qualifications, Rep. Bill Faison

H.B. 19: MLK's 80th Birthday / Obama Inauguration, Reps. Larry Womble, Paul Luebke, Jennifer Weiss, Earline Parmon

H.B. 20: Compensate Eugenics Sterilization Survivors, Reps. Womble, Parmon, Ronnie Sutton and Martha Alexander

More bills were filed this morning in the House:

H.B. 7: Victory Junction Gang Camp License Plate, Reps. Harold Brubaker, Pat Hurley

H.B. 8: Prohibit Cell Phones in Prison, Rep. Garland Pierce

H.B. 9: No Texting While Driving, Pierce

H.B. 10: Garnish Wages to Satisfy a Judgement, Reps. Tim Moore, Laura Wiley

H.B. 11: Regulation of Golf Carts in Grover, Moore

H.B. 12: Bioptic Lenses/Drivers License Tests

H.B. 13: Horn in the West Funds, Rep. Cullie Tarleton

H.B. 14: Chiropractic Services/Insurance, Tarleton

H.B. 15: Military Family Assistance Centers/Funds, Tarleton

Rep. Harold Brubaker
Asheboro Republican, former Speaker
Seventeenth Term

What two things would you cut in the state budget? "I think you seriously have to look at personnel. You have to look at those with 30-plus years in," he said. "Tough times require tough decisions."

Are there any taxes you would be in favor of increasing? He does not favor any new taxes.

— Ben Niolet

Several small North Carolina business owners said that Democrat Barack Obama's tax proposals would harm their efforts to expand their businesses, provide benefits to their employees, and provide charity to the community.

"Under Barack Obama's redistribution of the wealth, I would have to lower expenses," said Travis White of Sure-Gen Inc. in Wilmington which employes 23 people, Rob Christensen reports. "I would have to drop the benefits I provide."

April Byrd, owner of Solid as a Rock Construction in Charlotte, took exception to Obama's comments that he wanted to "spread the wealth" comparing it to socialism.

"It goes against everything America stands for," Byrd said.

The teleconference was organized by the campaign of Republican John McCain and included former state House Speaker Harold Brubaker of Asheboro and Cindy Morris, owner of Winstar Homes of Raleigh.

Obama is proposing to roll back the Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 per year and increase the capital gains tax from 15 to 20 percent for the same income group.

Jim Black has gone missing.

The disgraced former House speaker's portrait is no longer hanging on the wall in the 1300 Court of the General Assembly.

When Dome last checked, the picture had been between former speakers Harold Brubaker and Richard Morgan, on the bottom row.

The portrait gallery features every speaker since 1963.

(Apologies for the quality of the photo, but it was taken on my Treo.)

Update: House Speaker Joe Hackney's spokesman says the photo was taken down by housekeeping to change the dates listed on the matte. The photos of Marc Basnight and Beverly Perdue have also been taken down.