Gov. Beverly Perdue has put her name next to the new state budget after all.

Republicans criticized Perdue, a Democrat, for not having a public ceremony to sign the new state budget bill into law this week. Instead, Perdue signed the bill in private on Friday afternoon.

Dome noted at the time that Perdue's press release announcing the signing did not feature her usual letterhead or even Perdue's name. The budget bill was listed as one of 31 bills the governor had signed.

But Perdue did subsequently send out an electronic newsletter with a headline about her signing the budget bill.

In the newsletter, Perdue says the budget is "far from perfect," but that it makes improvements in areas such as education and job training.

Perdue's full statement after the jump.

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Gov. Beverly Perdue this morning announced a new program designed to quickly retrain people for jobs where are shortages.

At a news conference at WakeMed, Perdue said she would use $13.4 million in federal stimulus money to start accelerated six-month training programs for 12 occupations. She called it "12 in 6," reports Rob Christensen.

"We know that people who have lost their jobs need to get back in the work force as quickly as possible," Perdue said. "This rapid training initiative provides them with a clear path to success in new, sustainable careers."

The 12 areas are nursing assistants, phlebotomy, medical coding, office/clerical support, masonry/tile cutting, plumbing, carpentry, welding, food service, auto body repair, manufacturing/materials and HVAC/industrial maintenance.

The new initiative comes at a time when North Carolina is experiencing double digit unemployment.

The program will be run by the state community college system. Scott Ralls, the community college president and Keith Crisco, the state commerce secretary attended the news conference.

The new training will begin in September. The state community college board is scheduled to vote on the program on Friday.

Sen. Kay Hagan is seeking more than $48 million in state spending.

The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate has sponsored one bill and co-sponsored 16 bills seeking appropriations in the upcoming state budget. As a longtime state senator, she is serving an advisory role on the budget in the short session.

Hagan is the primary sponsor of a bill that would give the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering run by UNC-Greensboro and N.C. A&T University $2.9 million in the budget.

Among the larger appropriations bills she is cosponsoring: $12 million for the N.C. Housing Trust Fund, $9.5 million to the UNC system for 4-H camps, and $8.1 million to buy a building for a student services center at N.C. A&T.

She is also asking for $3 million for Boys & Girls Club programs targeting dropouts and teen pregnancy, $3 million for an International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, $2.6 million for promoting the semiannual furniture market in High Point, $2.5 million for minority financial literacy programs, $2 million for arts programs and $1 million for a parental school involvement pilot program.

Among the appropriations under $1 million: Money for a literacy program in Wake County public schools, an electronic health information study commission, Kids Voting programs, a John Coltrane Music Hall in Greensboro, job training for the homeless and former inmates, a male-oriented teen pregnancy prevention program, and housing for recovering substance abusers in Greensboro.