State legislators want to help out members of the military.

Several bills filed so far this session would give extra benefits to members of the military:

* Tour the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina without paying for a ticket;

* Get credit for law enforcement training if they served in the military police;

* Waive the commercial drivers test if they operated heavy machinery in the military;

* Renew drivers licenses early or late if they are deployed overseas;

* Receive bigger disability benefits;

* Visit state museums for free;

* Receive free parking with a license plate for partially disabled veterans;

* Get in-state tuition for their dependents if they are killed on duty while assigned to North Carolina; and

* Visit state parks for free if they are disabled veterans.

In addition, other bills would fund military family assistance centers, create an N.C. Korean War Veterans Memorial in Mint Hill and run military business centers at state community colleges.

Another bill would allow members of the N.C. National Guard to study at state community colleges for free. 

Rep. Rick Glazier says some special appropriations are healthy.

The Fayetteville Democrat made a distinction between bills requesting specific funds for statewide programs and those that just help someone in their district.

He said it's always worth discussing state programs on education or health programs, for example, saying it "sends a signal" that they are worth discussing later.

But with the state facing a $2 billion or higher shortfall, he said legislators should avoid filing bills to help a constituent.

"I'm not filing any bills that relate to special projects back home," he said. "Those kinds of bills are really inappropriate this year."

So far this session, Glazier has been the primary sponsor on 10 bills that would spend more than $100 million.

The bills would supplement teacher salaries, expand technical education and military business centers at community colleges, fund a teaching center, pay for foreign language pilot schools, expand a positive behavior initiative in state schools and expand the N.C. Science Olympiad statewide.

Two bills would benefit Fayetteville: One to give $1 million to support a defense industry incubator there and another to spend $50,000 to clean up a contaminated site. 

State legislators have now asked for $93.2 million.

Eight more bills filed since Dome last checked have added another $5.3 million for specific programs, even as the state faces a $2 billion shortfall.

The largest request of the most recent batch is for $1.3 million for the N.C. Military Business Center at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The smallest request is for $10,000 to help Rhema Educational Services upgrade a child care facility.

Two bills are companions to $11.8 million already requested for a driving course and other facilities at the N.C. Center for Automotive Research and $575,000 to train teachers to work with children who have cochlear implants.

Other spending bills would fund a business incubator at the Partnership for Defense Innovation, support the N.C. Center for Advancement of Teaching's programs for teachers in their first three years, clean up groundwater contamination at the Texfi site in Fayetteville, and build a senior center in Gates County.

The new bills also call for another $2.3 million to be spent in the 2010-11 budget year, for a total of $10.2 million in future spending requests.