* Employees of Verizon Business spent more than $21,000 over four years on gifts and meals for state employees, many of whom had direct oversight of a $51 million, no-bid contract given to the company.

State officials had previously disclosed they were investigating the gifts. On Tuesday, Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner Mike Robertson revealed the extent of the gift program.

The names of nearly three dozen DMV employees appear on a list of those Verizon says accepted steak dinners, spa treatments and a ticket to a Carolina Hurricanes game.

Among those listed as being among the most frequent recipients of Verizon's largess was Deborah Brewer, deputy director of DMV's License and Theft Bureau.

Brewer and her boss, bureau director Brian K. Bozard, both retired May 1, shortly after Robertson reopened an inquiry into whether the pair had accepted $900 in tickets to sit at Verizon's table during Gov. Beverly Perdue's Inaugural Ball in January.

Bozard and Brewer, neither of whom could be reached for comment Tuesday, helped oversee DMV's implementation of the eSticker program, a digital system for tracking state automotive inspections that ended the need for windshield stickers. (N&O)

* State Reps. Wil Neumann and Pearl Burris-Floyd plan to introduce a bill in the General Assembly that would block the enrollment of illegal immigrants in community colleges. The Gaston County Republicans announced their intention at a Tuesday news conference outside the Gaston County Courthouse. (Gaston Gazette)  

Rep. Pearl Burris-Floyd spoke about her expertise.

The Gaston County Republican noted that she works as a cancer-detection specialist and served as president of the N.C. Society of Cytology.

She said that she was told when she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill that lung cancer would be eliminated eventually, but it hasn't.

"I think what bothers me most is that 30 years ago, second-hand smoke wasn't a problem," she said. "It wasn't an issue. It wasn't something taht we even talked about, because we didn't know about it." 

She said that the debate over second-hand smoke is not a partisan issue.

"When I look at cells under my microscope, I don't see R's and D's on those cells," she said. 

Illegal immigrants would be denied bail under a new bill.

The bill was filed by freshmen Republican Reps. Pearl Burris-Floyd of Gaston County and Justin Burr of Stanly County.

It would instruct magistrates to have a presumption that no illegal immigrant charged with a sex offense, violent felony or driving violation, among other things, could be released with a reasonable presumption that they would return to court.

Sarah Preston, legislative director for the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that it was overly broad and would cost too much money.

Burr said the bill was supposed to be broad.

"This is just a way to make sure these folks are being held and not put back on the streets," he said. (Burlington Times-News)

Who's in the Legislative Black Caucus?

Started in 1983, the nonprofit group of black lawmakers discusses common issues in the legislature, holds an annual conference and runs a foundation.

It currently has 21 members in the 120-member House and nine in the 50-member Senate.

Though members of the group do not agree on all issues, they have enough clout to help deliver — or block — a closely contested bill in the legislature.

Some members of the black caucus could play a key role in a smoking ban this year.

Though the majority of the caucus voted for a similar ban in 2007, the handful who didn't helped defeat it. Of those who voted against it, Reps. Beverly Earle, Earl Jones, Mickey Michaux and Earline Parmon are still in office.

Rep. Ty Harrell was absent, while Reps. Pearl Burris-Floyd, Elmer Floyd, Sandra Spaulding Hughes and Nick Mackey were not in office then.

A full list after the jump.

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A few more bills from the House today:

H.B. 84: No Bail for Certain Illegal Aliens, Reps. Justin Burr, Pearl Burris-Floyd

H.B. 87: DOL Enforcement Positions/Funds, Reps. Beverly Earle, Jennifer Weiss, Angela Bryant, Jean Farmer-Butterfield

H.B. 88: Healthy Youth Act, Reps. Bob England, Susan Fisher, Alma Adams, Winkie Wilkins