Helping a company get incentives?

You don't necessarily have to register as a lobbyist.

A spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Commerce said that under their reading of state laws, lobbying does not include assisting companies applying for financial incentives with the One North Carolina or JDIG programs.

"'Lobbying' is the attempt to influence legislative or executive action," Kathy Neal wrote in an e-mail to Dome. "'Executive action' specifically does not include a person (or the person's consultant) communicating with a public servant with respect to applying for a determination of eligibility (such as for incentives), or making an inquiry about or asserting a benefit, claim, right, entitlement, payment, etc."

The N.C. Secretary of State's office, which is the arbiter for lobbying registration, said that it would depend on the consultant's role. In some cases, the registration would not become public until after the incentives are approved.

That interpretation did not sit well with Bob Orr, a former state Supreme Court justice who is fighting the state's incentives system through the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law.

"If they don't have to register as a lobbyist, they ought to," he said.  "It would seem to me if you're negotiating to get taxpayer money from a government agency, then that's lobbying."

Garrett Perdue has never registered as a lobbyist.

A search of state lobbying databases back to 1993 found no record of the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue having registered.

Two online biographies note that Perdue worked as an "associate" and a "government relations liaison" in 1998 for Zeb Alley, a Raleigh lobbyist who is regularly ranked among the five most effective in the state.

He was a senior in college at the time.

Liz Proctor, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Secretary of State's office, said that a person has to register as a lobbyist if they have a client and are paid for their work. She said she could not comment on any specific cases without knowing the details.

"It would be hard to say just based on a title whether or not they should be registered," she said.

State law allows some economic development lobbyists to register without their records being made public until the project is announced, but Proctor said no one is currently registered under that provision.

Garrett Perdue worked for his mom in 2001.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue went to work for the then-lieutenant governor, according to a Feb. 14, 2001, article in the N&O:

Another top state official, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, has turned to her son, Garrett, to help her with speech-writing and other office duties. But Garrett Perdue, 24, "is just helping out" before he heads to law school in the fall, and he does not work for the state, according to Perdue spokesman Derek J. Chernow. Whatever financial arrangement exists is "between him and his mom," Chernow said.

In the fall of 2001, he started law school at UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating in May of 2004.

Update: According to Beverly Perdue's 2001 mid-year campaign finance report, Garrett was paid $1,378.38 from campaign funds for his work.

Garrett Perdue is not registered as a federal lobbyist.

But lobbying law experts say he doesn't have to — until he has a client.

Under federal law, people who lobby Congress must register with the House Office of the Clerk and the Senate Office of Public Records within 45 days of starting work on behalf of a client.

Neither has a record of Garrett Perdue, son of Gov. Beverly Perdue and a lobbyist with the white-shoe law firm Womble Carlyle.

But Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, said that could mean Perdue does not have any federal clients.

"Unless you have someone you're representing, there's no obligation to register as a lobbyist," he said.

Perdue, who was hired on Feb. 16, will have worked for Womble Carlyle for 45 days tomorrow.

Seven of the state's eight Democratic Congressmen say they have not heard from Perdue. 

Jack Betts was bullish on Garrett Perdue in 2007.

In an Oct. 7 piece, the Charlotte Observer columnist said the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue did well when introducing her at the formal kickoff of her campaign.

"The younger Perdue has presence, poise, timing and wit that Bev Perdue ought to put to good use on the campaign trail between now and next spring, when she hopes to become the Democratic Party's nominee in the May 6 primary election," he wrote.

He wrote that Garrett Perdue was "a first-rate speaker" who "might just have a glowing political future."

Previously: Perdue hired as federal lobbyist, spotted at legislature and state political event, members of Congress haven't heard from him.

What does Garrett Perdue do?

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue has not spoken about his new job with Womble Carlyle, and a company spokesman would only say he would be lobbying the federal — and not the state — government.

A biography on the company Web site adds some details.

It says that Perdue works on economic development projects in the Southeast, collaborating with former Gov. Jim Hunt and working with corporate clients on "strategic planning, site selection and incentives negotiation."

In addition, he advocates for clients before federal and local government agencies. His strong ties to North Carolina's Congressional delegation give his clients a voice at the highest levels while his extensive connections with North Carolina's local elected officials benefit clients with city and county matters.

He belongs to the federal and state government affairs team.

Full text after the jump.

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Garrett Perdue is out and about again.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue was spotted at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham today for the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting. He was seated at the Womble Carlyle table.

Among the speakers at the event was his mother. Former Gov. Mike Easley was on hand to receive an award, and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton was also at the event.

No members of the Congressional delegation were on hand.

In mid-February, the younger Perdue was hired by Womble Carlyle, the state's largest law firm, to work with former Gov. Jim Hunt on economic development and government relations strategy.

The firm was insistent that he would not be doing any lobbying in Raleigh, though Perdue was recently spotted at the legislature for unexplained reasons.

He is not currently registered as a lobbyist with the N.C. Secretary of State or the U.S. Senate.

Have you seen Garrett Perdue at a state political event? E-mail dome@newsobserver.com.

From Democracy North Carolina's 2007 lobbyist report:

* Don Beason, who retired after a shady loan to disgraced Speaker Jim Black became public, reported earning $145,521 from 16 clients, putting him in 29th place.

* His son, Mark, reported earning $279,423 from 16 clients, putting him in sixth place.

* Elizabeth Dalton, daughter of Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, reported earning $79,343 from five clients, for 56th place.

* Courtney Crowder, now a lobbyist for Gov. Beverly Perdue, reported earning $42,794 from 10 clients, for 116th place.

* Lanier Cansler, now secretary of Health and Human Services, reported earning $31,110 from four clients, for 159th place.

* Don Vaughan, who was elected a state senator last year, reported earning $22,500 from one client, for 206th place.

Both chambers of the legislature are considering resolutions honor the late lobbyist and former House member Roger Bone.

Bone was considered one of the most influential lobbyists in the legislature.

— "Roger made it to the top...by being a very personal, common man," said Sen. Martin Nesbitt, an Asheville Democrat.

— "Roger was never more than the boy from Sandy Cross," said Sen. A.B. Swindell, a Nashville Democrat.

— "We're grateful to him for just making this a place where we can enjoy each other's company ... as we talk about the ways to make North Carolina better," said Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat and senate majority leader. 

Bone served in the 1979 session of the House, later worked as a legislative liaison to Speaker Liston Ramsey, and founded his own lobbying firm in 1987.

The House will consider its resolution when it goes into session at 1 p.m.

Update: The House took up the Senate version of the resolution.

— "He is what some would call a permanent fixture of the legislative building as he has been around as long as anyone can remember," said Rep. William Wainwright, a Havelock Democrat. "North Carolina is a better place because Roger Bone passed our way."

— "He possessed a unique passion for sound public policy," said Rep. Randy Stewart, a Rocky Mount Democrat.

"I can recally many conversations with Roger down in the snackbar of this buildign as he explaiend to me ...the dynamics that really move this assembly," said Rep. David Lewis, a Dunn Republican.

Damon Circosta is into alternative transportation.

The newly appointed head of the N.C. Center for Voter Education was spotted leaving the legislature this morning on a skateboard.

An Ocean Pacific longboard, for those who care about such things. 

"I used to work at a surf shop in San Diego, and this was my parting gift," he explained. 

The longer skateboards, which have a wider wheel base and more flexibility in the midsection, are not as useful for performing tricks, but they are better suited for getting around town.

Not that Circosta hasn't done an ollie or two in his day.

"I gave up all that when I was 14," he said.