The administrative law judge who recommended reinstatement for a trooper fired for having sex in his patrol car has won the N.C. Troopers Association's first-ever "Judge of the Year" award.

Judge Melissa Owens Lassiter received the award for distinguished service, said association President Ron Crawford. The association is a support group for the troopers, but it is not affiliated with the State Highway Patrol, Dan Kane reports.

The association's letter to Lassiter praises her for decisions that are "detailed, well reasoned and illuminating."

"We believe that being an outstanding judge requires many of the same characteristics as being an outstanding trooper: diligent hard work, respect for the people who you serve, the ability to make tough decisions, and the courage to occasionally make unpopular decisions required by the rule of law," the letter said. "We congratulate you on your career as an attorney and as a judge and wish you many more years of distinguished service on the bench."

Lassiter was given a small statue of a trooper.

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State legislators have now asked for $120.7 million.

Nine more bills filed since Dome last checked have added another $26 million in spending, even as the state faces a $2 billion shortfall.

The largest request of the most recent batch is for $20 million to provide grants through the Rural Economic Development Center to help rural communities. The smallest is $50,000 to study the feasability of offering financial incentives to students to get good grades.

Other spending bills would create a No Adult Left Behind initiative to train adult workers, help the Ahoskie Boys and Girls Club build a new facility, help renovate the historic Barker House in Edenton, repair the historic Hope Plantation, help build a new public library in Ahoskie, pay for an employee to run the N.C. Troopers Association's Caisson Unit, and fund the N.C. Science Olympiad.

The bills also call for $5.3 million in spending next year.

Ongoing coverage of spending bills is available here.

The N.C. Troopers Association has endorsed Kay Hagan.

The group, which represents members of the state Highway Patrol,  praised her record in the state Senate on school safety, sex predators and gangs. 

"Your record of supporting Troopers and police officers, of supporting improvements to public safety and for more effective law and order is extraordinary, "wrote president Ron Crawford in a letter to Hagan. "Our troopers need a strong voice in Washington to lead efforts for legislation to promote Trooper and officer safety. The evidence demonstrates that you are the most qualified candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.”

Pat McCrory took aim at unions Tuesday.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate made several references to labor unions during a debate on WTVD that left no doubt of a rift between McCrory and a group representing state workers.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina endorsed McCrory's Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, in late July.

The Service Employees International Union, which is affiliated with SEANC, has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to a 527 group that is running ads attacking McCrory's record this year.

McCrory complained about the ads twice during the debate, saying they were taking his remarks out of context and were funded by "national Washington group and labor unions and other groups from throughout the country."

"The 30-second TV ads, which now attack me, by this Washington labor group are saying that I'm opposed to free two-year college tuition, and therefore I'm against students, I'm against kids," he added later.

After Perdue mentioned her endorsements by law enforcement groups during a discussion on the death penalty, McCrory took aim at them as well.

"This has nothing to do with endorsements by quasi-labor unions," he said.

During the Democratic primary, Perdue was endorsed by the N.C. Troopers Association, the N.C. Police Benevolent Association and the N.C. Sheriff Police Alliance.

The N.C. Troopers Association is slamming an independent consultant's review of the state Highway Patrol.

The association released a statement today that called the report "incomplete, biased, misleading, and inaccurate in relevant parts." It also said the report is a "severe disservice" to troopers, the patrol and taxpayers, Dan Kane reports.

The association is the second group to criticize the review. John Midgette, the N.C. Police Benevolent Association's executive director, also delivered a harsh critique after the review was released on Wednesday.

Kroll of New York City was hired to perform a review of the patrol's hiring, training and supervision practices. Gov. Mike Easley called for the review last fall after several high profile cases of trooper misconduct.

He and N.C. Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty have praised its findings.

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The N.C. Police Benevolent Association is raising objections to a four-month review of the N.C. Highway Patrol's hiring, training and supervision policies.

John Midgette, the association's executive director, said the review was a "manipulated fraud" because it did not look into pressing issues inside the 1,800-member force, particularly the handling of disciplinary cases, Dan Kane reports.

"It was destined to be a fraud because of the fact that (patrol Commander Fletcher Clay and N.C. Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty) had defined the scope of the survey and they selected the so-called consultant," Midgette said.

He also said that the consultant, Kroll of New York City, did not base its findings on "traditional methodology" such as interviews under oath or written surveys.

Kroll said in its report that it interviewed troopers throughout the ranks of the force as well as officials with affiliated groups, including the N.C. PBA.

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The N.C. Troopers Association has endorsed Beverly Perdue.

The association, which represents more than 1,000 state troopers, announced its support for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in a press release today.

Perdue's rival, state Treasurer Richard Moore, oversaw state troopers while serving as secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety under Gov. Jim Hunt.

"Many of our troopers have known Richard Moore for a long time, but the support for Bev Perdue was overwhelming," said President Terry Story in a statement.  "She has proven a long-term commitment to law enforcement, and she's clearly the best choice to keep North Carolina safe and to keep North Carolina moving forward." 

The announcement was the latest in a string of endorsements for Perdue.

She's also been endorsed by EMILY's List, the N.C. Association of Educators, the National Association of Social Workers, the United Transportation Union, the National Women's Political Caucus, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Communications Workers of America.