Walter Dalton received the endorsements of several black leaders.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor was endorsed by the George C. Simkins Political Action Committee, a major African-American PAC in Greensboro.

He also been endorsed by former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton, former state Auditor Ralph Campbell and the entire state Senate Black Caucus: Sens. Charlie Dannelly, Katie Dorsett, Tony Foriest, Malcolm Graham, Ed Jones, Vern Malone, Floyd McKissick and Larry Shaw.

Dalton has been a state senator since 1996. 

"I am extremely honored to have the endorsement of the Simkins Committee and African-American leaders across the state," Dalton said in a statement. "Their support reflects my commitment to making the lives of all North Carolinians better and creating opportunities for everyone to succeed."

The State Employees Assocation of N.C. announced its endorsements in legislative primary races.

The group, which represents 55,000 state workers, endorsed 13 candidates for the state House and 12 candidates for state Senate through its political action committee.

Seven of the candidates are Republicans: Rep. Jeff Barnhart; House candidates George Shaeffer, Sidney Sandy, Nalin Mehta and Shirley Randleman; and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell and Jim Jacumin.

In two cases, it endorsed candidates running against each other: state Sen. Vern Malone and rival Ann Akland; and Senate candidates Jack Nichols and Josh Stein.

In the House, the PAC also endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant, Edith Warren and Drew Saunders and candidates Robert Richardson, Greg Taylor, Charles Graham, Betty Mangum and Ric Marshall.

In the Senate, it endorsed Sens. Floyd McKissick, Ellie Kinnaird, Katie Dorsett and Steve Goss and candidates Shelly Willingham and Chuck Stone.

"We're happy to be able to support candidates who care about quality public services and the employees who work so hard to make this state one of the best places to live," said PAC chairwoman Paula Schubert in a statement.

The political action committee of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina has made its endorsements.

In statewide races, the group has endorsed Janet Cowell for state treasurer, June Atkinson for superintendent of public instruction, both Democrats.

For state Senate races, the group endorsed Sens. Katie Dorsett of Guilford County and Ellie Kinnaird of Carrboro, both Democrats.

In state House races, it endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant of Rocky Mount and Tricia Cotham of Charlotte, both Democrats.

"The Action Fund proudly supports leaders who stand up for young people by supporting real sex education and who fight for greater access to reproductive health services for all," said president Janet Colm in a statement.

Phil Kirk has been elected chairman of the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

Kirk, vice president of external relations for Catawba College, will succeed state Sen. Katie Dorsett, a Greensboro Democrat, as chair of the group.

Kirk is a former president of N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry and former chairman of the State Board of Education.

Rep. Thomas Wright was on paid leave.

The Wilmington Democrat was one of 15 state lawmakers who were paid for the two-day special session even though they didn't show up for at least one day, according to a story in the Wilmington Star-News.

As per his usual routine, Wright did not return calls to a reporter.

According to the Wilmington Star-News, checks were sent to Wright and Reps. Becky Carney, Jerry Dockham, Phil Haire, Hugh Holliman, George Holmes, Edgar Starnes, Russell Tucker and R. Tracy Walker and Sens. Katie Dorsett, Eddie Goodall, Malcolm Graham, Jim Jacumin and Clark Jenkins.

Reps. Jeff Barnhart and Ric Killian were absent and asked not to be paid. Rep. Karen Ray missed the second day and asked not to be paid for it.

Two lawmakers — Reps. Ty Harrell and Grier Martin — were present, but asked not to be paid anyway.

Correction: The absences are based on final roll-call votes on the second day of the session. Sens. Jacumin, Dorsett and Goodall were in session on Sept. 10, according to votes taken that day. No roll calls were taken in the House on Sept. 10.

The N.C. Democratic Party edited Wikipedia entries on Auditor Les Merritt, Sen. Katie Dorsett and UNC basketball coach Dean Smith.

A new software program called Wikiscanner revealed the edits, which previously were anonymous.

The changes to Merritt's are the most interesting. Someone using a computer at the state party's headquarters reworded criticism of Merritt's handling of a voter registration audit and added information about a controversial part-time job:

As of June 2007, Merritt has come under scrutiny because of an attempt to block a Senate Bill that would have authorized same day registration. Merritt's based his concern on a report his office produced which he quickly withdrew due to substantial inaccuracies.

The other revisions added information on Dorsett's background, noted Smith's role in Devout Democrats, a political action committee that ran ads about religious Democrats, and fixed a misspelling in former Kinston City Councilman Van Braxton's bio.

All of the changes can be viewed here.

Looking back Wednesday to the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898, the state Senate expressed “profound regret that violence, intimidation and force” were used to overthrow an elected government, force people from their homes and ruin lives.

The Senate resolution said the “government was unsuccessful in protecting its citizens during that time,” reports Lynn Bonner.

The Senate acknowledged the findings of a commission it established to investigate the riot and the events leading to it. The resolution, which now goes to the House, follows one passed earlier this year apologizing for slavery.

Read more after the jump.

   Comments (0)

Mixed martial arts could come to North Carolina.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill today that allows mixed martial arts matches, once the Alcohol Law Enforcement division of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety come up with regulations for them.

The sport uses techniques from different traditions of martial arts, boxing and wrestling. Its godfather is Bruce Lee, who came up with a system called Jeet Kune Do in the 1960s.

Sen. Katie Dorsett, a Greensboro Democrat, said that the matches are "a new sport" popular in the military that "provides not only fun but fitness as well."

One colleague said the bill made him nervous.

"I'm kind of reluctant to even question this bill," joked Sen. William Purcell, "having seen this guy at the Finance committee the other day who could probably take care of five or six of us at one time."

The bill heads back to the House for concurrence.

Correction: An earlier post had an incorrect home town for Dorsett. 

Senate leaders boast that their $20 billion budget proposal provides more accountability for nonprofits that receive state funds. But State Auditor Les Merritt said in a letter today to legislative leaders that the Senate plan undercuts his effort to keep an eye on nonprofits.

"By striking a mere $230,000 out of a $20,000,000,000 budget, you may have inadvertently cut a primary accountability mechanism in State government, and hampered (the state auditor's) mandate to increase transparency in the largely unmonitored field of State grant recipients," Merritt wrote in a letter to Senate leader Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, Dan Kane reports.

Merritt said budget proposals in the House and from Gov. Mike Easley include the spending, which would help the auditor's office expand its database that monitors the thousands of state grants to nonprofits to catch conflicts of interest between nonprofit officials and state government.

State Sen. Katie Dorsett, a budget writer who oversees the auditor's office, said Merritt's concerns have merit, but that Senate leaders did not think there was enough money available this year.

"We tried to make sure we were fair to everybody," Dorsett said.

The money could end up in the final budget, which is under negotiation between the House, Senate and Easley.

A Senate bill would let North Carolina drop out of the Electoral College.

Under the legislation, the state would sign a multi-state pact to award all of its electors to the winner of the popular vote nationally. So far, only Maryland has approved the pact.

Under the system, Al Gore would have been elected president in 2000.

The pact is being pushed by the California-based National Popular Vote group as an end run around the need for a constitutional amendment, which would likely be blocked by smaller states that are disproportionately powerful under the current system.

A similar push for direct election of senators in the early 1900s required a constitutional amendment.

The bill is sponsored by Democratic Sens. Daniel Clodfelter of Charlotte, Katie Dorsett of Guilford County and Eleanor Kinnaird of Carrboro.