Elaine Marshall will also take a voluntary pay cut.

In a press release today, the secretary of state said she would ask that her annual salary be reduced by half a percent, in line with cuts proposed by Gov. Beverly Perdue.

"This is a significant step toward making hard choices to balance the State Budget," she said. "It affects all of us, including myself. I have taken the steps necessary to ensure the pay reduction applies to me as well."

Under state law, Perdue does not have the authority to reduce the pay of Council of State members such as Marshall.

Schools Superintendent June Atkinson and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Parker have also volunteered for a pay cut.

Update: Marshall and Atkinson's pay cuts are worth about $616 a year.

Second Update: Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin has also volunteered.

"Balancing our state’s budget will not be an easy task, and I certainly want to do my part in supporting my employees at the Department of Insurance and this portion of the state budget solution," he said in a statement.

Third Update: A spokeswoman for the governor says that all of the members of the Council of State and elected judges will take the cut.

June Atkinson will take a voluntary pay cut.

In an e-mail to Dome, the state schools superintendent said she would ask that her annual salary be reduced by half a percent, in line with proposed cuts by Gov. Beverly Perdue.

"It is the right thing to do since our educators, my (N.C. Department of Public Instruction) colleagues, and other state employees are having to deal with a salary reduction," she wrote.

Under state law, Perdue does not have the authority to reduce the pay of Council of State members like Atkinson.

Previously: Chief justice asks elected judges to take pay cut.

GLADLY PAY TUESDAY? Call it the J. Wellington Wimpy budget. The N.C. Senate passed a $20 billion budget this week that doesn't say where $500 million in revenue would come from. Senate leaders said they'll work out the tax part later, much as the Popeye character promised to "gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

DUCKWORTH'S BACK ON: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr drew national attention for holding up the nomination of injured Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth as Veterans Affairs secretary. He said he had questions about her financial disclosure forms, but declined to give details. By mid-week, he said he would allow the nomination to go forward.

EARMARK TRANSPARENCY: In the bad old days, members of Congress secretly inserted earmarks in the budget. Now, they post the requests on their Web sites. If you can find them. And they don't all call them earmarks. And their methods of tallying up the requests differ so much it's difficult to compare to them, apples to apples. But it's a start.

IN OTHER NEWS: A fix to the State Health Plan narrowly passed the state Senate. ... Former Board of Transportation member Louis Sewell got an invite to the Executive Mansion from Gov. Beverly Perdue. ... Vice President Joe Biden dropped by Fort Bragg to welcome home troops. North Carolina's been pretty popular for executive branch visits since the state went for President Obama in November. ... The Senate budget would take oversight of state testing away from schools Superintendent June Atkinson, the latest in a tug-of-war between her and Gov. Perdue over education.

* SEANC executive director Dana Cope is selling his home to keep his kids at Lacy Elementary, recruiting people to run for school board.

* Proposal to change state's sex education curriculum changed slightly to allow parents to choose to enroll their child in no classes.

* The Senate's budget bill faced a slew of amendments, some of which passed easily and some of which went nowhere fast.

* Greensboro News-Record columnist Doug Clark sides with schools Superintendent June Atkinson in her lawsuit against Gov. Beverly Perdue. 

June Atkinson says the state shouldn't force school systems to merge.

The state schools superintendent objected today to a Senate budget provision — and a related bill — that would limit state spending to one school system per county.

That would affect a handful of school systems in the state, including Orange County and Chapel Hill schools.

"I do not agree with that," Atkinson told Dome. "I understand that these are difficult economic times, but I think that decision has to be made at the local level."

The bill is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand.

Related: Sen. Martin Nesbitt, a Buncombe County Democrat, also objects to the proposal. 

The Senate budget is the latest battleground for educational oversight.

A section of the 2009 budget released by Senate leaders last night would shift power from Superintendent June Atkinson to an appointee of Gov. Beverly Perdue's.

The two Democrats have been fighting over whether the superintendent of the head of the Board of Education should be in charge of schools. Atkinson has sued over the issue.

The budget sides with Perdue, changing wording in state statutes to put the chief executive officer — Perdue appointee Bill Harrison — in charge of administering state education tests:

(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible, under policies adopted by the State Board of Education, for the statewide administration of the testing program provided by this Article.

Update: "This proposed change is just another example of why we need the court system to determine the constitutionality of the role of the state superintendent," Atkinson told Dome. "We need that clarity." 

Hat Tip: Chris Hayes

Gov. Beverly Perdue responded this afternoon to the lawsuit by state school superintendent June Atkinson. Perdue's press secretary, Chrissy Pearson issued this statement:

"North Carolina's children deserve nothing less than schools that work the right way -- to give them the education they need to succeed in a changing global workplace," Pearson said in the statement. "Gov. Perdue's focus for the public school system continues to be on providing the leadership needed to make that system work for our children."

State school superintendent June Atkinson wants to do her job, and she's willing to go to court to get it.

Today, Atkinson and former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr will discuss Atkinson's lawsuit against the state board and Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Though Atkinson was elected by voters to hold the position of superintendent, she has not assumed more than a superficial role. She has not actually run the Department of Public Instruction. During her first term, J.B. Buxton came out of Former Gov. Mike Easley's office to manage the education agency.

This year, Perdue bypassed Atkinson and chose William Harrison to both run the DPI and lead the State Board of Education as chairman. Harrison is also a defendent in the lawsuit.

Atkinson and Orr announced the lawsuit yesterday and will discuss details today. (N&O)

State superintendent June Atkinson said this week she has not yet decided whether she will sue to get the job of running the state Department of Public Instruction. 

But had some ideas for legislators on how they could clear up the confusion over who is responsible for the education agency, Lynn Bonner reports.

People who vote for the state superintendent every four years believe the winner will have the authority to run the department, Atkinson said. Atkinson, who is serving her second term, has never had that authority.

"It is confusing for the voters," Atkinson said. "I just want it to be settled."

Atkinson has objected to Gov. Beverly Perdue appointing a CEO and chairman, Bill Harrison, to run the department.

Atkinson said she has "two excellent options" for clearing up who is in charge.

One, honor the state constitution that says the superintendent shall be the chief administrative officer.

Two, legislators should vote for a constitutional referendum that would give Board of Education members four-year, staggered terms. They members would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature.

More after the jump.

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It's the Zapruder film of hugs.

A brief snippet of video from UNC-TV has been watched by political observers around North Carolina today who want to know if Gov. Beverly Perdue snubbed Superintendent June Atkinson on Monday.

Perdue and Atkinson have been engaged in a battle royale of late over which of them should have control over state education.

So when Perdue made her way to the podium in the House chamber to give her biennial State of the State address to the legislature, her behavior toward Atkinson was watched.

As seen in the video, Perdue shook hands and hugged several state politicians, including Rep. Garland Pierce, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and state Auditor Beth Wood.

But between Marshall and Wood, she bypassed Atkinson, who was standing less than two feet away.

Was it intentional, or just an oversight in a busy evening? Watch the video for yourself and decide.