Roger Bone, a former legislator and one of the state's top lobbyists, has died.

He passed away this morning, according to a fellow lobbyist. Further details are not yet available.

Bone was ranked the No. 1 lobbyist in North Carolina last year by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research based on a survey of journalists, politicians and lobbyists. In seven previous surveys, he was either second or third.

In June, he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor the governor can bestow on a North Carolina citizen.

His clients included Eli Lilly, Lorillard and the N.C. Association of Long Term Care Facilities.

North Carolina's rest homes won't have their own Michelin Guide.

A bill that would create a state rating system for adult care homes moved out of the House Aging Committee today, but without including a proposed five-star rating guide, Thomas Goldsmith reports.

Representatives of the adult-care home industry, which owns and operates assisted living facilities and rest homes were still not happy, calling the bill "grossly unfair."

Lobbyist Lou Wilson said her industry favors public disclosure, but wants the rating system applied to industries, such as in-home care services, which also work with older North Carolinians and people with disabilities.

"We will work with the (House) appropriations committee to either put everybody in it or take us out," Wilson said.

A billboard will be following legislators to dinner tonight.

The mobile billboard, which is on the side of a Fairway advertising truck, will be circling the General Assembly building for six hours today.

The N.C. Association of Long Term Care Facilities is arguing for an increase in the rates that assisted living facilities get from the state.

After a short break, the mobile billboard will circle local restaurants tonight, in order to catch lawmakers at rest as well.

Roger Bone, a spokesman for the association, said they're targeting high-end restaurants popular with legislators — Sullivan's Steakhouse, 18 Seaboard and Bloomsbury Bistro.

In the wake of recent ethics reforms, they're also aiming low — K&W Cafeteria in Cameron Village.

"We've not been able to bring the attention to this issue that it needs," he said. "So we've got to try something different."