I DID IT: A dying inmate is having a hard time convincing the right people he committed a Raleigh murder. Craig Taylor says he, and not Greg Taylor (no relation) killed a woman. Greg Taylor's case recently went before the Innocence Inquiry Commission, which found reason to believe Greg Taylor shouldn't be locked up, partly because Craig Taylor knew specific details about the murder.

But Craig Taylor has confessed to other murders and officials say he is confessing to murders because he is dying. (N&O)

THIRD PARTIES GET ANOTHER SHOT: The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a state law that forces third political parties to collect tens of thousands of signatures to get on North Carolina's ballot. But the court's split decision means the case will likely be heard again. (AP)

A LITTLE BIT MORE: Duke Energy has pared down a rate hike request in a compromise with regulators. If the N.C. Utilities Commission agrees, a 7 percent hike would be phased in over two years. (Char-O)

Jack Betts says Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians benefited from straight-ticket voting.

After looking at the results of the November election, the Charlotte Observer columnist writes that all three parties drew more straight-ticket ballots than their party representation would suggest.

Democrats represent 46 percent of registered voters, but drew 58.8 percent of straight ticket votes. Republicans represent 32 percent of voters, but drew 40.4 percent of straight ticket votes.  

This is not quite the same as saying that all those straight-party Democratic ballots were cast by Democrats, or that all those Republican straight-party ballots were cast by Republicans. There may have been a number of straight-ticket ballots cast by unaffiliated voters, who make up 22 percent of the state's registered voters. And of course there might have been some crossover straight tickets, too. 

He also notes that the 19,054 Libertarian straight-ticket ballots far outnumbere the 3,683 registered Libertarian voters.

Mike Munger will be at a gubernatorial debate after all.

The Libertarian nominee has been invited by WSOC-TV and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg League of Women Voters to participate in a live televised debate in October.

Despite helping gather thousands of signatures to get the Libertarian Party recognized and garnering between two and five percent in polls, Munger has not been invited to the four other debates agreed to by Democrat Beverly Perdue and Republican Pat McCrory.

Munger is a Duke University professor best known for his comical critiques of the other candidates and their positions.

The debate is scheduled for Oct. 15. It is the last scheduled debate agreed to by the other two campaigns.

In mid-March, Munger said that he had been asked to appear at the debate, but he did not receive an official invitation until this week.

More than 1,000 people attended a conservative rally in Raleigh today.

After taking free buses from as far as Wilmington and Asheville, attendees listened to beach music and ate barbecue and fried chicken this afternoon while waiting for former Sen. Bob Dole and Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory to speak.

Twenty tents shaded the crowd from 97-degree heat and showcased conservative and libertarian groups on the grassy Halifax Mall just north of the General Assembly.

Among those represented: The N.C. Republican Party, the N.C. Libertarian Party, Americans for Prosperity, the John Locke Foundation, the Civitas Institute, the Pope Center on Higher Education, Freedom Works, the Wake County Taxpayers Union, the National Taxpayers Union, the Republican Liberty Caucus, Americans for Tax Reform, the N.C. Property Rights Coalition, the Fair Annexation Coalition, Concerned Women for America, N.C. Fair Tax and WPTF radio.

Attendance was free, but donations of $5 to $10 were accepted.

"These are not wealthy people; these are grassroots people," said Americans for Prosperity state director Dallas Woodhouse.