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State Rep. Phillip Frye of Spruce Pine has announced he will not seek another term.

Frye had been drawn into the same House district as fellow Republican Mitch Gillespie under the redistricting plan passed by the legislature last week. The new district includes McDowell, Mitchell and Avery Counties.

“It has been my distinct honor and privilege to represent District 84 in the General Assembly for the last five terms,” Frye told The McDowell News. “As we went into the 10-year redistricting process, I stated my desire to keep a strong district for my counties. As the process began to develop, it was clear the three counties of Avery, Mitchell and McDowell Counties would make up an ideal district.”

Frye now represents a district composed Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Caldwell.

Some interesting bills filed in the House recently:

H.B. 120: Public Municipal Campaigns, Reps. Rick Glazier, Melanie Wade Goodwin, Pricey Harrison and Winkie Wilkins

H.B. 123: Death Penalty / Proportionality Review, Reps. Glazier, Dan Blue, Deborah Ross and Earline Parmon

H.B. 125: Raise the Cap on Charter Schools, Reps. Jim Gulley, Marilyn Avila and Ric Killian

H.B. 126: Eliminate the Cap on Charter Schools, Reps. Gulley, Avila, Killian and Nelson Dollar

H.B. 128: Authorize Grandfather Mountain as State Park, Reps. Phil Frye, Edgar Starnes and Cullie Tarleton

Rep. Joe Boylan has been charged with driving while intoxicated.

Highway Patrol troopers charged the Pinehurst Republican after he swerved off the side of the road, hitting a tree, in Cameron on Thursday, the Southern Pines Pilot reports.

He was treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital.

In an e-mail, Boylan said the accident was "a wake-up call."

"This is the first time I have ever been charged with an alcohol-related offense and I promise that it will be the last," he wrote. "I accept full responsibility and am very ashamed of my behavior."

He said he will begin seeking regular counseling to stop drinking and asked for the "forgiveness and prayers" of Moore County citizens. 

State Rep. Phillip Frye was charged with drunk driving in December.

Fifty-six legislators face no opposition this fall.

Fourteen Senate candidates and 42 House candidates will be elected without primary or general election opponents, based on filings with the State Board of Elections.

Among them: Senate leader Marc Basnight; House Speaker Joe Hackney; Former House Minority Leader Jonathan Rhyne, a Lincolnton lawyer who hasn't been a state lawmaker for 15 years; and Rep. Phil Frye, a Mitchell County Republican who recently was pulled over for driving while impaired.

"This is again another year where we don't have enough people running for office," said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. "Hopefully there will be more attention to that and more support for reforms."

He supports creating an independent commission to draw legislative districts, shortening the legislative session, boosting lawmakers salaries and publicly financing legislative races. (N&O)

Fred Smith has received $14,500 from other politician's campaign funds since 2007.

According to his mid-year and year-end campaign finance reports, the Republican gubernatorial candidate received donations from 13 campaigns.

The top contributors were state Rep. Mitch Gillespie, who gave $4,000; Rep. Leo Daughtry, who gave $3,000; and former Senate candidate Todd Siebels, who gave $2,000.

He also received $1,000 each from Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson and Sen. Jim Forrester, $750 each from Sens. Richard Stevens of Cary and Jerry Tillman of Randolph County, and $500 each from Reps. James H. Langdon, Carolyn Justus of Henderson County and Mark Hilton of Catawba County.

He also received donations from Rep. Phillip Frye of Mitchell County, former Rep. Russell Capps of Wake County and Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman.

State Rep. Phillip Frye has been charged with drunk driving.

The Spruce Pine Republican told the Asheville Citizen-Times that he would plead guilty to the charge after hitting a parked car near his home Monday.

When he was arrested, his blood alcohol content was 0.18, more than twice the legal limit.

"I am extremely sorry this event happened," Frye wrote in a statement. "It was the first time in my life, and I assure you it will be the last."

He said he would attend alcohol treatment. 

* U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole backs Sen. Richard Burr's bid to become the policy chair for Senate Republicans, saying it would be good for North Carolina. (N&O)

* At N.C. Farm Bureau's annual meeting, Dole says that Farm Bill is problematic, argues agricultural sector needs "a reliable immigrant worker program" now. (News 14)

* At national meeting, state Reps. Phillip Frye and Pryor Gibson push interstate crackdown on the use of cash grants and tax credits to lure businesses. (AC-T)

* GOP gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith's wife Ginny to campaign for him at Al-Pam Republican Club's annual Christmas banquet in Plymouth. (GDR)

Rep. Alice Bordsen missed three out of every 10 votes.

According to a tally by The Greensboro News & Record, the Mebane Democrat had the most absences during the past legislative session.

She missed most of the votes — including one on the $20.6 billion state budget — during the waning days of the session. A Democratic leader said she had planned in advance to travel overseas.

Rep. Harold Brubaker, an Asheboro Republican, missed about a quarter of the 1,400 votes cast.

A Republican leader said that he was often gone because he was at meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group. (GN-R)

Sen. Fred Smith, a Clayton Republican who is running for governor, also missed about a quarter of the votes.

Six legislators had perfect attendance: Reps. Nelson Dollar, Phil Frye and Bill Owens and Sens. Richard Stevens, Andrew Brock and Tony Foriest. (AP)