State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is planning to escape a simulated fire at his Raleigh home.

As the top insurance official, Goodwin is also the state fire marshal, and apparently an action hero, by elected-official standards.

Goodwin and his 7-year-old daughter Madison will demonstrate the correct way to escape a house fire. Simulated smoke will provide realistic conditions. The fake fire will start Monday and reporters are encouraged to attend and film the action.

The idea is to encourage state residents to develop a plan to escape home fires. Oct. 7 is the annual statewide fire drill. Goodwin seems to have learned a flair for the dramatic from his predecessor, the late Jim Long, who was known for blowing stuff up with fireworks as a way to demonstrate the danger of fireworks.

The legislature honored the state's long-serving Insurance Commissioner, the late Jim Long.

"We'll miss him dearly, but the people and citizens of North Carolina will miss him more," said House Majority Leader Rep. Hugh Holliman.

"Our state has some of the lowest insurance rates in the nation thanks to the work that he did," said Rep. Alice Bordsen, a Mebane Democrat.

Long died at 68, shortly after he retired.

More state Senate bills of note:

S.B. 376: Honor Jim Long, Sen. Tony Foriest

S.B. 377: Low Academic Performance/No Sports, Sen. Charlie Albertson

S.B. 378: Counties May Fund Charter Schools, Sen. Eddie Goodall

S.B. 379: Remove Cap on the Number of Charter Schools, Sen. Goodall

S.B. 380: Collection of Mobile Phone Data/DMV Reports, Sen. Charlie Dannelly

The state's insurance companies want to raise auto insurance rates.

The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents auto insurance companies, has requested a 1.4 percent increase of the statewide average for 2009.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin will review the request before he sets the state's rates, his office announced in a news release. The industry is currently fighting in court over a rate cut ordered by former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long who cut rates by 16.1 percent. 

If Goodwin and the insurers cannot agree on a rate, Goodwin will call for a hearing on the issue. The last hearing ended with the insurers taking the state to court. They disputed Long's cut and instead raised rates by 9.4 percent, according to Goodwin's release. 

The difference between what Long ordered and the rate insurers are charging has been placed in an account. The money would be paid to insurance customers if the state wins the court case, Goodwin said.

LONG GONE: The sudden death of longtime Insurance Commissioner Jim Long cast a shadow over the week. Legislators wore red tie stickers in his honor; others gave praise. Ironically, he was going to spend his retirement fighting for stroke prevention.

BILLS BILLS BILLS: Legislators pitched a flurry of new bills to expand sex ed options, extend public financing, teach about the 1898 race riots, require murder interrogations be videotaped, and reduce copays for chiropractors. Leaders will now seek to bury half and rewrite the rest.

SUPER FIGHT: Schools Superintendent June Atkinson threw down her glove. After remaining quiet while Gov. Beverly Perdue sought to pull even more power from her position, Atkinson demanded legislators to decide once and for all who runs the schools.

IN OTHER NEWS: A tough budget year hasn't stopped legislators from asking for more money. As of Thursday, special appropriations bills totaled $95 million, or about 5 percent of the $2 billion shortfall. ... Sen. Kay Hagan wants to limit CEOs getting federal bailout money to the same salary as President Obama. Watch for executives to start arguing the president is underpaid. ... State Sen. Steve Goss said he'd never had any trouble with blogs as he filed a bill that would make them more liable for libel. By the end of the day, bloggers rectified that.

Jim Long's signature red ties are being used to commemorate him.

At the General Assembly today, members wore stickers shaped like red neckties as a way of recognizing the death of the longtime state insurance commissioner, who once served in the state House.

Meantime, supporters and friends of Long have posted photos of red ties as their profile pictures on the popular social networking site Facebook.

Long's red tie habit harkens back a half century. His father walked in late to a Democratic rally in 1946 and was recognized by Gov. J. Melville Broughton, who pointed out his red tie. 

Afterward, his father never wore anything but solid red ties afterward, and Long picked up the trait from him.

This morning's meeting of the Council of State was a subdued affair because of the death of former Insurance Commission Jim Long.

Gov. Beverly Perdue asked for a moment's silence for Long, who last month ended 24 years of experience regulating the insurance business, Rob Christensen reports.

She joked that if Long were there, he would have said pass the donuts and coffee and said get the meeting moving.

Perdue asked the Council of State members to attend Long's funeral on Thursday as a group.

Long’s death overshadowed a little history. For the first time, a majority of the members of the Council of State were women: Perdue, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, State Treasurer Janet Cowell and State Auditor Beth Wood, and Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson.

* Adam Searing recalls former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long's sense of humor, willingness to fight on behalf of consumers.

* State Rep. Mickey Michaux suspects Long "saved North Carolina a whole bunch of money" during his years fighting insurance rate increases.

* N&O resident historian Rob Christensen notes that he was not as populist as his predecessor and helped clean up problems at the office.

* Insurance Journal notes that he received the first President's Award from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in December.

* Charlotte Observer editor Jack Betts says he was part of a long line of rural politicos, including Jim Graham, Thad Eure and his own family.

* Democratic pollster Tom Jensen says he seriously thought about polling Long against former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole last year because he was so popular.

* Bob Geary of Independent Weeky recalls a "progressive thinker and battler" and "a regular guy — not a bit of self-importance from what I saw."

The House and Senate paused tonight to remember former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, who died earlier today.

"We have lost a great public servant," Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton said of Long.

Dalton asked the state Senate for a moment of silence as the session opened, to remember Long's wife and family, reports Lynn Bonner.

Rep. Hugh Holliman, the House majority leader from Lexington, reminded members that Long once served in the state House.

"He was a good servant for the people of North Carolina," Holliman said. "I think we should remember him tonight in any way we can."

You may remember Jim Long as the commissioner of insurance.

But former staffer Courtney Crowder says he had another job title.

"We called him the commissioner of love because he always had relationship advice for us," Crowder said.