ONE MORE QUESTION: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill that would requires U.S. Census takers to try to find out how many illegal immigrants are in the U.S. We're guessing some answers to that question might just not be truthful.

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS: The state lottery director wants to add another national super jackpot game to complement Powerball. The move would be the first step toward creating a near-nationwide big jackpot game that would appeal to those who think the Powerball odds are too fair.

BIG SPENDER: State Sen. R.C. Soles Jr., a Columbus County Democrat, spent the second most of any competitive candidate — more than $830,000 — to win his Senate seat last year. That was BEFORE he shot someone. No telling what the figure might be next time.

IN OTHER NEWS: Margaret Harper, who ran twice for lieutenant governor and was a pioneer among female political figures in North Carolina, died at 92. The Triangle region buys 40 percent of all lottery tickets sold in the state. The Attorney General won't appeal Superintendent June Atkinson's right to run the state school system.

The state Attorney General's office won't appeal a Superior Court judge's decision that State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson has the legal authority to run the state education agency.

Gov. Beverly Perdue had hired Bill Harrison to run the state Department of Public Instruction, going around Atkinson, who had twice won statewide elections for state superintendent. 

Atkinson, a Democrat, hired former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, a Republican who runs the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, to fight the decision in court.  She sued Perdue and the State Board of Education, and won. 

The Attorney General's office said immediately after the Superior Court ruling in July that it would appeal. But the office decided last month not to, said spokeswoman Noelle Talley. 

Harrison said he told Perdue soon after the decision that he thought an appeal would be distracting. He retired from the paid job of state education CEO, though he is still the school board chairman. 

Perdue took some hits for appointing Harrison to the job running the education agency. The Mecklenburg County Democratic Party admonished Perdue for the attempted end-run around Atkinson. 

Shirts stripped off, drugs, sharp implements and blood spilled -- and that was just among Gov. Beverly Perdue and her cabinet. All of this was in the name of flu prevention.

Perdue, seven of her cabinet secretaries and state schools Superintendent June Atkinson received their seasonal flu vaccinations in front of a news conference this afternoon to promote the annual shots.

Perdue emphasized flu prevention steps: frequent hand washing, coughing into sleeves and staying home when sick. She also explained that North Carolina's allotment of about 1 million vaccinations for the H1N1 flu virus are expected to be available around mid-October.

Before getting her seasonal flu shot, Perdue suggested the capital press corps be vaccinated with her administering the shots. As she and her cabinet began to get stuck, the press conference turned into something of a political celebrity burlesque show, with Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and Revenue Secretary Ken Lay taking off their shirts for their turn at the needle.

"Gene's over there undressing!" Perdue laughed. No washboard abs, though. Conti and Lay both had on undershirts.

State Board of Education members spent considerable time Tuesday talking about something many want but they aren't going to get. Not in the foreseeable future, anyway.

The state's public education leaders want kids at school for more than 180 days, and they talked a lot about how China and India have longer school years, Lynn Bonner reports.

"We better pay attention to what's going on in other parts of the world," said board member John A. Tate III.

Board chairman Bill Harrison acknowledged that having students spend more time at school is not something that's going to happen soon, considering the state's financial straits.

In fact, Wilkes County schools got permission from legislators to cut this school year to 162 days and make each day 45 minutes longer so it could save money.

Nonetheless, the state should talk about ways to have students spend more time at school, Harrison said. Perhaps a small test program could be proposed as part of the state's application for a federal education grant, he said.

"When we look at disadvantaged students, they're really doing nothing productive when they're away from school," Harrison said. "The most productive thing they're doing is sitting and watching TV."

While most in the room endorsed more time at school, state superintendent June Atkinson said some students may be better off spending less time there.

"Some kids don't need to come to school everyday," she said.

Atkinson wants the state to move toward "personalized education plans," which she said would involve, for example, chances for high school students to take classes, work at internships, and work on projects with mentors.

"We've squeezed all the drops of educational juice out of the traditional schedule in public schools," she said. "Traditional schedules don't work for all students."

Don't expect the legislature to step into the debate this year over who should run the State Department of Public Instruction.

At least four bills were filed this session that would seek to make the Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed office or get rid of it all together in favor of an education commissioner, Lynn Bonner reports. Such a move would require voter approval to change the state constitution.

There was a flurry of interest when state superintendent June Atkinson asked the legislature to straighten out the chain of command at the state Department of Public Instruction, and a little more later when she won a lawsuit giving her the authority to run the department.

Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat and the chamber's majority leader, said he didn't expect any votes on eliminating the elected office this year. Legislators are engaged in the budget and haven't had time to talk much about a constitutional amendment.

"We're trying rather desperately to adjourn," Rand said. "I'm not hearing anything about this coming."

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan today started the states' competition for a share of $4.35 billion in "Race to Top" grants.

The money is meant to spur innovations and improvements in public education.
The states have been talking about the money for months, ever since the money was included in the federal stimulus bill, Lynn Bonner reports. The Gates Foundation has agreed to help North Carolina with its application.

In a webinar with district superintendents this week, state Superintendent June Atkinson said North Carolina will put together a strong application.

But the question whether the state's cap on charter schools would be an impediment lingers.

For weeks, Duncan has said that states that limit charter schools would be at a disadvantage, and he repeated that twice Friday.

States that "cap the number of charter schools or don't hold them accountable will be at a competitive disadvantage," Duncan said.

At the superintendents' webinar Thursday, Lee County superintendent Jeff Moss had asked Atkinson if North Carolina's cap of 100 schools would hurt.

Atkinson said the charter school cap is "not a deal breaker."

More after the jump.

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THINGS CHANGED: Though they once dismissed talk of big tax increases, state Democratic leaders reached what they thought was a budget deal this week. Just as lawmakers and weary staff members began to envision an approaching end to the session, Gov. Beverly Perdue shredded the deal and sent negotiators back to the meeting room.

LOOKING AHEAD: Lots of folks were dreaming about their political futures this week. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, like Rocky Balboa, is contemplating a rematch. Legislative Republicans all but began writing campaign literature for next year about the Democrats' tax increases. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall tried to build buzz on a possible challenge to U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

HEALTHY DEBATE: Pharmaceutical company ads praised our U.S. senators on TV. At the RBC Center, hundreds enjoyed a Mexican food buffet and tales of a nightmarish future brought on by President Barack Obama's health care reform plan. The president's campaign apparatus awoke within the state. So apparently there's a big health care debate going on in Washington.

IN OTHER NEWS: State residents were shocked to learn this week that UNC-Chapel Hill has a bloated administration. Bill Harrison threw in the towel and announced he would retire as the state schools CEO, clearing the way for elected Superintendent June Atkinson to run the schools. A bill on its way to becoming law eliminates the waiting period to become a member of "private clubs," the technical definition of most bars across the state. Best to go get that drink before the new sin tax kicks in.

On her first day back in her office and in charge of the state education department, Superintendent June Atkinson was immersed in the budget morass.

Atkinson returned from a conference in Colorado to a slate of meetings that included a web conference with district superintendents that focused on the legislature's budget negotiations, Lynn Bonner reports.

During the session, a participant pressed Atkinson on whether she would hold a press conference to publicly oppose some of the school cuts they see coming.

"I'd not considered that," said Atkinson, who said she'd talk to legislators and the head of the school administrators group, Bill McNeal.

Atkinson is in her second four-year term as state superintendent, but until a superior court judge's ruling Friday, she was never recognized as having the authority to run the state Department of Public Instruction.

"It feels good. It feels great," she said, of stepping into the leadership job.

William Harrison is stepping down as the CEO of the state's public schools. He will remain as chairman of the State Board of Education.

Harrison told employees of the Department of Public Instruction in an e-mail today that he will retire at the end of August, reports Lynn Bonner.

As you are aware, I have spent a great deal of time during the last two days responding to a legal dispute regarding my position as CEO. Quite frankly, I’ve wasted too many hours on this case – hours I would rather use working with you and education leaders across the state to accomplish the one thing Gov. Perdue asked of me six months ago: reforming our public education system to best serve our children. Because the 1.4 million students in this state remain my primary focus, and because I feel I can best serve them by focusing on my role as chair of the State Board, I will retire from DPI effective Aug. 31, 2009.

Harrison's retirement seemingly clears a path for June Atkinson, the state superintendent of public instruction, to take charge of the public schools.

Update: Gov. Beverly Perdue issued a statement saying that Harrison's decision "exemplifies what I’ve known all along – that his real commitment is not to a title or to a paycheck, but to securing a world class education system for our children. During this legal dispute, the focus on our kids has been lost in the courtroom. Dr. Harrison’s move today puts the focus back where it belongs – on the classroom."

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