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State bills that poll poorly

What state bills have the most opposition?

Recent surveys by the Elon University Poll, the conservative Civitas Institute and the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling have shown broad agreement on a number of issues.

Below, the percentage in opposition and the corresponding bill:

H.B. 362: Access to Higher Education (75 percent, 74 percent, PPP)

H.B. 120: Public Municipal Campaigns (73 percent, Civitas)

S.B. 20: Voter-Owned Election for Treasurer (73 percent, Civitas)

H.B. 71: Four-Year Terms (59 percent, Civitas)

S.B. 7: Allow Hunting on Sunday (58 percent, Civitas)

H.B. 154/H.B. 155: Appoint State Superintendent (51 percent, Civitas; 65 percent PPP)

Update: A poll by the N.C. Center for Voter Education found support for publicly financed municipal campaigns.

Circosta to head voter group

Damon CircostaDamon Circosta will head the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The nonprofit group, which promotes public campaign financing, announced today that Circosta, its policy director for the past two years, would become executive director.

"This is an important and exciting time for positive reform in our state," Circosta said in a statement. "I look forward to the Center doing all we can to make our political system more accessible and responsive to North Carolina voters."

A native of Arizona, Circosta has worked as an attorney and political consultant in Washington, D.C.; California and Raleigh. He has worked on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act and North Carolina's public financing of several Council of State races.

In 2006, he served as the statewide campaign manager for N.C. Appeals Court Judge Robert C. Hunter.

In his new job, Circosta will seek to expand North Carolina's public financing. Bills under consideration by the legislature this session would extend the program to all statewide races but the governor and lieutenant governor, or just add the state treasurer.

More Senate bills filed on day two

Several more bills were filed in the state Senate today:

S.B. 15: Session Limits, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand

S.B. 16: DPI / Curriculum on 1898 Wilmington Race Riots, Sen. Julia Boseman

S.B. 17: Pay Teachers the ABC Bonuses They Earned, Sen. Steve Goss

S.B. 18: Amend Cemetery Act, Goss

S.B. 19: Use of Additional Technology Prohibited, Goss

S.B. 20: Voter-Owned Election for Treasurer, Sen. Doug Berger

Cowell wants to join campaign finance pilot

Janet CowellState Treasurer Janet Cowell wants to participate in publicly financed campaigns.

The Raleigh Democrat is backing a bill that would add the state treasurer to three statewide offices — auditor, schools superintendent and insurance commissioner — funded under a pilot program created in 2007.

Rep. Dan Blue, a Raleigh Democrat, and Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, plan to introduce companion bills that would make the change.

A separate bill from Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat, would expand the campaign finance program to eight of the 10 Council of State positions.

Schools Superintendent June Atkinson and Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin were elected under the program last year. Auditor Beth Wood failed to raise enough qualifying donations.

Six other primary candidates also participated.

Update: "Public financing is a proven reform that gives voters more control over government, makes public officials more accountable to constituents and levels the playing field," Cowell said in a statement. "It also allows for greater transparency and avoids the appearance of conflicts of interest."

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