The state House passed a bill today that would allow schools to start the second Monday in August rather than wait until Aug. 25.

The bill would roll back a 2004 law pushed by the tourism industry, teachers and some parents who were peeved about schools starting in early August. Opponents of the later school-start date have been fighting to change it ever since, reports Lynn Bonner.

The N.C. Association of Educators has switched sides, and now wants districts to be able to start school before August 25.

The 79-39 House vote sent the bill to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.

Read more after the jump.

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Rep. Alice Graham Underhill encountered some rocky going today when urging the House Transportation Committee today to approve putting the designation visitnc.com on state license plates.

Some of her sample license plates — meant to show the addition of the state's tourism Web site — displayed the ill-fated combination WTF, Thomas Goldsmith reports.

The state previously had to offer replacements to nearly 10,000 license plate holders after learning that the letter were a common abbreviation for a vulgar phrase starting, "What the ...?"

When committee members questioned whether the addition was in large enough type for other drivers to make out at interstate speeds.

"Is there a way to make the Web site more prominent?" asked Rep. Ty Harrell, a Wake County Democrat.

Not without redesigning the plate, Underhill said, adding: "My goal is to get the Web site on the plate. This is the only way to get the Web site on the plate."

The bill didn't move forward, but committee vice-chairman Nelson Cole appointed a subcommittee to study the issue further.

Gov. Beverly Perdue, who huddled with her budget advisors Monday afternoon, said she is getting close to producing a proposed budget for next year.

"I'm getting in the short rows," Perdue told reporters after a brief appearance at a tourism conference at the Raleigh Convention Center, reports Rob Christensen.

"In my head, I know how I am going to balance this year's budget," Perdue said. "I have a pretty good idea about the next two years. A lot of people are going to be furious, but I'm going to do it the way I think I need to do it."

Perdue has said she plans to release her budget recommendations for the next fiscal year by mid-March.

But because of the declining economy, Perdue said she may not be finished.

"I may have to go in and do more cuts in June or July of this year," Perdue said. "Who knows how bad it's going to get. I'm quite aware I may have to do a supplemental budget right after I get my first budget out."

Perhaps Gov. Mike Easley secretly supports the five-day weekend.

That's the best explanation we can come up with for why the governor declared today — Tuesday, May 15 — to be "Tourism Day" in North Carolina.

According to a press release from his office, he did so "in recognition of the vital contributions of travel and tourism to the economic and cultural growth of North Carolina."

But Dome can't remember a time when we took a Tuesday off to do some sightseeing, so the choice of the day just didn't make sense.

Then we remembered the Asheville-based Friends of the Five Day Weekend. Perhaps if we had Monday through Friday off, we could go kayaking on Pamlico Sound on a Tuesday.

Sure enough, the Five Day Weekenders plan to hold a rally today at lunchtime in Moore Square.