What does North Carolina think?

The latest Elon University Poll shows significant agreement on a number of issues that are before the legislature.

Below, the percentage who agreed with a sentiment:

77: The state should make commuter rail available in urban areas.

74: The state should not charge a fee based on miles driven each year.

67: The state should ban smoking in public places, such as restaurants and bars.

— Support a $2 billion bond referendum for bridges and roads.

66: Offshore drilling should be allowed off the coast of North Carolina.

— Except in emergencies, it should be illegal to use a cell phone while driving.

The live phone poll of 758 residents was conducted Feb. 22-26. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

After the jump, the rest of the results.

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State Sen. Ed Jones has filed a bill that would bump up the penalty for second-degree murder.

The legislation was filed Thursday, a day after a Winston-Salem murder that became the impetus for the bill reached an apparent resolution in state court, Dan Kane reports.

According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Aaron Jarrett Jr., 40, was sentenced to a minimum of 31 years in prison for killing Philnando O'Neal.

Jarrett pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed robbery. He had originally been charged with first-degree murder, which could have resulted in life behind bars or a death sentence.

O'Neal's mother, Mary Lyons of Elizabeth City, had protested the plea deal after learning that a second-degree murder conviction could bring as little as just under eight years in prison. She spoke to Jones, a Halifax County Democrat, who agreed to boost the penalty for a conviction to a minimum of 12 years.

The N.C. Conference of District Attorneys supports the legislation, which representatives say could lead to fewer first-degree murder cases. A recent state Office of Indigent Defense Services report found that the cost of providing legal help to poor defendants has risen steeply in the last several years because prosecutors are leaving many murder cases open to the death penalty, despite the fact that few result in a death sentence.

A few more interesting Senate bills:

S.B. 64: Motorcycle Learner's Permit, Sen. Harry Brown

S.B. 65: Amend Computer Solicitation of Child, Sen. Jerry Tillman

S.B. 66: Require Arts Educ. Credit for Graduation, Sen. Katie Dorsett

S.B. 68: No ABC Establishments W/I 1,000 Ft. of Sch., Sen. Dorsett

S.B. 74: Increase Penalty/2nd Degree Murder, Sen. Ed Jones

Although North Carolina's overall violent crime rate decreased last year, state Attorney General Roy Cooper sounded the alarm this morning about a nearly nine percent jump in the state's murder rate.

Cooper, during a press conference this morning, attributed the rise in murders to increased gang activity across the state, with a 52 percent increase from last year for juveniles arrested for the offense, Thomasi McDonald reports.

The attorney general said he supported current state legislation that seeks tougher penalties for gang activity and a bolstering of prevention efforts that will help steer young people away from gangs.

"We are in a battle with gangs for the hearts and minds of our children and we must win," Cooper said.

Cooper also noted that while the murder rate is up, rates for other violent crimes has decreased; rape ois down 5.2 percent, robberies are down 0.4 percent and aggravated assaults fell 0.6 percent.
The state also saw a rise in the property crime rate — burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft increased by 0.2 percent across the state.

More after the jump.

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