N.C. Hot Sauce Day has its fans.

The creators of Cackalacky Spice Sauce are pushing state lawmakers to support a House bill that would honor all forms of hot sauce on the second Saturday in September.

"North Carolina has a long and proud history as the birthplace of America's first vinegar and red pepper-spiced table condiment — with a recipe that dates at least as far back as the 1600's," said Cackalacky president H. Page Skelton Sr. in a statement.

He argued the bill is a "long overdue celebration" of the state's "spicy culinary heritage" and an industry that contributes to the state's economy.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. James Crawford, a Granville County Democrat, in part to attract attention to an annual contest in his county.

Hat Tip: Andrea Weigl

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

An amendment to the House budget would let the state close Dorothea Dix without a final report.

Rep. James Crawford, an Oxford Democrat, said that the amendment was necessary to ensure the state didn't end up paying for Dix and two other mental hospitals, John Umstead and a new one at Butner.

"We'd have quite a bill to pay," he said.

That upset the Wake County delegation, which wants the reports as a way to make sure that mental health patients in the Triangle are being served.

Rep. Deborah Ross said that the amendment would also let soon-to-leave Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom off the hook for not having filed the reports, required by law for any hospital closure.

"This is what she was supposed to do, but she didn't do," said the Raleigh Democrat.

The amendment passed 68-46.

More on this subject on Capital Beat and Isaac Hunter's Tavern.

Political action committees associated with four major tobacco companies gave about $28,000 since 2000 to 11 of the 17 Democrats who voted against the smoking ban.

As Dome noted earlier, they were the crossovers who went against party line, helping defeat the bill.

Lorillard, R.J. Reynolds, Standard Commercial Tobacco, Philip Morris and its parent company Altria gave mostly small donations of $250, $500 or $1,000 through their PACs, typical of their contributions to other legislators.

The biggest recipient was Rep. Nelson Cole of Reidsville, who got $8,750 between 2000 and 2006. Rep. James Crawford of Oxford received $5,500 during that same time period.

Both represent tobacco-growing areas in North Carolina.

Reps. R. Van Braxton, Walter Church, Mary McAllister, Timothy Spear and Edith Warren were not listed on campaign finance reports filed by the tobacco companies' PACs.

Among the Republicans who voted for the bill, Rep. Julia Howard received $4,200 and Rep. Jeff Barnhart received $2,250.

A survey found that 10 top legislators raised a quarter of a million dollars out of state.

The research, released today by the N.C. Public Interest Research Group, focused on fundraising from within a legislator's district compared to elsewhere.

It found that an average of 73 percent of the $1.9 million in campaign donations came from outside their district.

That includes 14 percent that came from outside North Carolina.

Sen. Walter Dalton, a Rutherfordton Democrat, did the best elsewhere, raising $59,144 of his $422,460 from other states.

On a percentage basis, Rep. Beverly Earle, a Charlotte Democrat, came in highest, with 27 percent of her $62,305 from out of state.

Others studied were Sens. Phil Berger, Tom Apodaca, Linda Garrou and Kay Hagan, and Reps. Joe Kiser, Bill Owens, James Crawford, and Debbie Clary.

They were chosen because they are chairs or ranking minority members of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee during this election cycle.