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Sen. Larry Shaw, a Cumberland County Democrat, announced Thursday he will not seek re-election this year. Shaw has served in the Senate's 21st district since 1995.

"A wise man once said the greatest one among you, is the greatest servant among you," Shaw said in a written statement. "My public service duty has been fulfilled and now the torch of community servitude must be passed on. Now more than ever, Cumberland County needs an individual with an executive mindset to harness the resources necessary to allow it to continue to develop into a competitive region of the state.”

Shaw's departure is the latest in a wave of longtime senators announcing their retirements. Tony Rand, the former Majority Leader, resigned his seat representing a Cumberland County district at the end of last year.

A bill would set state standards for kosher and halal food.

Sen. Larry Shaw, a Fayetteville Democrat, said he filed the bill after hearing from Jews and Muslims who were concerned about sales of foods that meet strict religious requirements.

The state would not directly certify the food, but it would require that anything advertised as kosher or halal be approved by private religious organizations that are involved in certification.

"This is really just about truth in labeling," he said. "You cannot represent that this food is kosher or halal unless it meets the standards recognized in the industry." 

Both kosher and halal food must come from animals that were properly slaughtered in processes that were overseen by rabbis and imams. 

Shaw, the only Muslim in the state legislature, said he travels to a halal slaughterhouse in Siler City to prepare his own lamb about once a year. 

He introduced a similar bill in the legislature last year. 

State Sen. Larry Shaw will chair the nation's leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.

The Fayetteville Democrat was named today as the new chairman of the board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, where he has served as a member for the past three years.

A seven-term state senator, Shaw was the highest-ranking Muslim public official in the United States until 2006. 

In a statement, he said he looked forward to partnering with the Obama administration to promote "pluralistic values." 

"In carrying out our mission of promoting justice and mutual understanding, we honor and will continue to learn from groups who have faced similar challenges, including African-Americans, Asian-Americans and many others," he said.

CAIR has 35 offices and chapters in the United States and Canada. 

State legislators have now asked for $778.7 million.

A total of 130 bills filed since the start of the session have requested special appropriations for various state programs and causes.

That's about 25 percent of the likely $3 billion budget shortfall.

Thirty-one of the bills are companions filed in the other chamber, and three other bills are similar. Bills filed in both chambers total $162.3 million.

The 68 House spending bills total $523.8 million; 61 Senate spending bills, $531.8 million.

The largest spending bill to date is Sen. Larry Shaw's request for $173 million to compensate victims of the state's sterilization program, which is unlikely to pass. The second largest is Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand's request for $113.5 million to shore up the State Health Plan, which is likely to pass.

Other large requests are for $93 million to supplement teacher salaries, $50 million for wastewater treatment projects, $50 million for low-income housing, $44 million to pay teacher bonuses, and $36 million for public health programs.

The smallest request is for $10,000 to upgrade a day care.

Only 11 spending bills totaling $70.8 million have a Republican among their primary sponsors.

The bills also request $434.8 million in the 2010-'11 budget.

A few of the more interesting Senate bills:

S.B. 172: Allow Charter Schools in 100 Counties, Sen. Eddie Goodall

S.B. 178: Repeal Ban G.S. 95-98, Sen. Larry Shaw

S.B. 179: Sterilization Compensation, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 181: Drivers License Change Expir./8 yrs to 65, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 182: Honor Bob Scott, Sen. Tony Foriest

Here are the chairs of the other Senate committees, the senators who often decide what bills get debated and voted on by the committee.

Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources -- Sen. Bob Atwater, Chapel Hill Democrat

Commerce -- Sen. R.C. Soles, Tabor City Democrat

Education -- Sen. Vernon Malone, Raleigh Democrat and Sen. Richard Stevens, Cary Republican

Finance -- Sen. David Hoyle, Dallas Democrat; Sen. Dan Clodfelter, Charlotte Democrat and Sen. Clark Jenkins, Tarboro Democrat

Health Care -- Sen. William Purcell, Laurinburg Democrat and Sen. Stan Bingham, Denton Republican

Judiciary 1 -- Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Asheville Democrat

Judiciary 2 -- Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, Concord Republican

Mental Health and Youth Services -- Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Carrboro Democrat and Sen. Malcolm Graham, Charlotte Democrat

Pensions/Retirement/Aging -- Sen. Tony Foriest, Graham Democrat

Rules -- Sen. Tony Rand, Fayetteville Democrat

State and Local Government -- Sen. Ed Jones, Enfield Democrat and Sen. Don East, Pilot Mountain Republican

Transportation -- Sen. Larry Shaw, Fayetteville Democrat

Ways & Means -- Sen. Charlie Dannelly, Charlotte Democrat

Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology -- Sen. Katie Dorsett, Greensboro Democrat and Sen. Joe Sam Queen, Waynesville Democrat

What should the state lottery be called?

To promote the fact that 35 percent of the proceeds of the lottery go to a fund to reduce class sizes, build schools and give college scholarships, its creators christened it the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Now, some legislators want a name-change.

State Sen. Harris Blake, a Pinehurst Republican, has filed a bill to rename it the North Carolina State Lottery.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Robert Pittenger, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor; Sen. Larry Shaw, a Fayetteville Democrat; and five Republican senators. For now, it is sitting in a committee on rules.

Incidentally, the lottery was given its name by Kevin Geddings, the former lottery commissioner who is currently appealing his federal corruption conviction.

He had run the campaign to pass a lottery in South Carolina, and came up with the idea of calling it the S.C. Education Lottery as a tactic to soften its image and get voters behind it.

Update: Blake said that the word "education" encourages children to gamble and makes the lottery sound more seemly — two things he disagrees with.

"It gives credibility to gambling if you use that word," he said. "If we take 'education' out of that name, it will clear that up."

Hat Tip: Andy Curliss

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."

FAYETTEVILLE—Barack Obama began at 11:03 a.m. with some shoutouts to local politicians.

He specifically thanked Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Moore, state Sen. Larry Shaw and state Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, who are all in the audience.

He also name-checked Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne, slowing down to pronounce his last name, sha-VOHN-ay, carefully.

"When your name is Barack Obama, sometimes your name is mispronounced," he said. 

FAYETTEVILLE—One more name for the list today.

State Sen. Larry Shaw, a Fayetteville Democrat, is also on the guest list.

By Dome's reckoning, that means state Reps. Mary McAllister and William Brisson are the only Cumberland County Democratic legislators not on the list.

Not sure what, if anything, that means.