Gov. Beverly Perdue is not alone in China and certainly not in terms of elected officials from North Carolina, since 11 legislators are also there.

Senators Malcolm Graham (right with Alfred Liu, general manager of SAS' Beijing R&D) and Bob Rucho, of Charlotte; Floyd McKissick, of Durham; Joe Sam Queen, of Waynesville and Tony Foriest, of Graham, along with Representatives Lucy Allen, of Louisburg; Bill Owens, of Elizabeth City; Joe Tolson, of Pinetops; Jane Whilden of Asheville; Margaret Dickson, of Fayetteville and Wil Neumann, of Belmont are visiting as part of a program organized by the University of North Carolina’s Center for International Understanding. All are Democrats except for Rucho and Neumann, Republicans.

Graham said no tax dollars are being used to pay for the trip. Funding comes from Duke University as well as corporate sponsors AT&T, Longistics and SAS.

The group is participating in a few events during Perdue's trade trip, such as Wednesday's visit to a middle school, but also are making their own stops, such as SAS' Beijing R&D operation. Lawmakers are aiming to learn more about a country and culture with which North Carolina must compete for jobs and business.

"We don’t live in an isolated world anymore," Graham said. "We’re not just competing with South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. We’re competing in a worldwide economy."

Sens. Julia Boseman and R.C. Soles Jr. spent the most of any competitive legislative candidate to win their seats.

Boseman, a Wilmington Democrat, spent $871,500 in her race and Soles, a Columbus County Democrat, spent $839,500, according to an analysis of campaign spending by the Program on Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The list of top spenders did not include candidates who ran unopposed and therefore excludes spending by Senate Leader Marc Basnight, $1.3 million, or House Speaker Joe Hackney, $744,000.

The top spenders in the House were Randy Stewart, a Nash County Democrat ($382,000) and House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat ($354,000).

Democrats control the House and Senate and have powerful fundraising machines in place. On the Republican side in the House, top spenders were Rep. David Lewis, a Dunn Republican ($232,000) and House Republican Leader Paul Stam, an Apex Republican ($196,000).

Among Senate Republicans, top campaign spenders were Sen. Neal Hunt, a Wake County Republican ($813,000) and Richard Gunn, an Alamance County Republican, who spent $386,000, but lost the race to Sen. Tony Foriest, a Democrat.

When Dan Ingle was selected to fill the vacancy created by Cary Allred's resignation from the state House in May, one of his first acts was to vote on the state budget.

Ingle, a Burlington Republican, voted against it. He said it was a bad time to increase taxes, according to an account in The Times News of Burlington.

"When I walk down the street in Alamance County, 12 out of every 100 people, they're not working right now," he said.

Democratic lawmakers from the area told the paper they had done the best the could in a difficult year.

"We had to step up and made some hard choices," said Sen. Tony Foriest. a Graham Democrat. "I think we did that."

At a press conference today, a group of legislators spoke about how proposed budget cuts could impact the state's aging population.

The press conference was held in honor of former Sen. Vernon Malone, who died in April. In the Senate, Malone was an advocate for issues facing the elderly.

Among various cuts, the House budget proposed cutting about $50 billion for in-home health services, though $34 million of that would be restored by the proposed revenue package. Cuts also would impact adult care facilities.

"It is our responsibility to protect those most in need, out citizens and the elderly," said Sen. Katie Dorsett, a Raleigh Democrat.

Speakers said representatives succeeded in preventing major cuts to services for the elderly, but they noted that, with the House and Senate representatives beginning to conference on the budget, there is stil a long way to go.

More after the jump.

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More state Senate bills of note:

S.B. 376: Honor Jim Long, Sen. Tony Foriest

S.B. 377: Low Academic Performance/No Sports, Sen. Charlie Albertson

S.B. 378: Counties May Fund Charter Schools, Sen. Eddie Goodall

S.B. 379: Remove Cap on the Number of Charter Schools, Sen. Goodall

S.B. 380: Collection of Mobile Phone Data/DMV Reports, Sen. Charlie Dannelly

A few of the more interesting Senate bills:

S.B. 172: Allow Charter Schools in 100 Counties, Sen. Eddie Goodall

S.B. 178: Repeal Ban G.S. 95-98, Sen. Larry Shaw

S.B. 179: Sterilization Compensation, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 181: Drivers License Change Expir./8 yrs to 65, Sen. Shaw

S.B. 182: Honor Bob Scott, Sen. Tony Foriest

Here are the chairs of the other Senate committees, the senators who often decide what bills get debated and voted on by the committee.

Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources -- Sen. Bob Atwater, Chapel Hill Democrat

Commerce -- Sen. R.C. Soles, Tabor City Democrat

Education -- Sen. Vernon Malone, Raleigh Democrat and Sen. Richard Stevens, Cary Republican

Finance -- Sen. David Hoyle, Dallas Democrat; Sen. Dan Clodfelter, Charlotte Democrat and Sen. Clark Jenkins, Tarboro Democrat

Health Care -- Sen. William Purcell, Laurinburg Democrat and Sen. Stan Bingham, Denton Republican

Judiciary 1 -- Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Asheville Democrat

Judiciary 2 -- Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, Concord Republican

Mental Health and Youth Services -- Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Carrboro Democrat and Sen. Malcolm Graham, Charlotte Democrat

Pensions/Retirement/Aging -- Sen. Tony Foriest, Graham Democrat

Rules -- Sen. Tony Rand, Fayetteville Democrat

State and Local Government -- Sen. Ed Jones, Enfield Democrat and Sen. Don East, Pilot Mountain Republican

Transportation -- Sen. Larry Shaw, Fayetteville Democrat

Ways & Means -- Sen. Charlie Dannelly, Charlotte Democrat

Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology -- Sen. Katie Dorsett, Greensboro Democrat and Sen. Joe Sam Queen, Waynesville Democrat

A few more bills have been filed in the Senate:

S.B. 21: Organ Donor Awareness Month, Sen. Tony Foriest

S.B. 22: Ban Texting While Driving, Sen. James Forrester

S.B. 23: Restraint/Juvenile in Custody/Court's Discretion, Sen. Jerry Tillman

S.B. 24: Special Plate for the Given Memorial Library, Sen. Harris Blake

S.B. 25: Horton Independent Redistricting Commission, Sen. Pete Brunstetter

S.B. 26: Injury to Pregnant Women/Additional Offense, Sen. Brunstetter

One more bill has been filed.

H.B. 27: Regulate Euthanasia of Animals, Rep. Cullie Tarleton

S.B. 21: Organ Donation Awareness Month, Sen. Tony Foriest

State Rep. Alma Adams will again chair the Legislative Black Caucus.

At a meeting on Dec. 4, the caucus unanimously re-elected the Greensboro Democrat to a second term as chairwoman, despite speculation that she may take a role in Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

Sen. Malcolm Graham was also chosen as first vice chair; Rep. Earline Parmon, second vice chair; Rep. Annie Mobley, secretary; Sen. Tony Foriest, treasurer; Rep. Garland Pierce, caucus chaplain; and Sen. Floyd McKissick, parliamentarian.

According to a press release, the caucus' goal is to promote legislative policies "responsive to the needs of all North Carolinians, particularly African Americans." In recent years, it has played a role in passing the state's Earned Income Tax Credit, among other things.

In 2007, the caucus was criticized when it was revealed that relatives of five members received college scholarships from its foundation.

The caucus will now have 31 members, including newly elected Reps. Elmer Floyd of Fayetteville, Pearl Burris Floyd of Gaston County and Nick Mackey of Charlotte and Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill. In 2007, it had just 28 members.

Burris Floyd will be the group's only Republican.