Walter Dalton

Is there a children's section?

lbonner — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:38:24 -0400

Former Gov. Jim Hunt will probably hear a lot about his initiatives on education and school-readiness when people with big titles gather Friday to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on N.C. State University's Centennial Campus.

The library, set to open in 2012, will house the Institute for Emerging Issues, a Raleigh think-tank Hunt created.

Scheduled to attend the ceremony are UNC President Erskine Bowles, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, and U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge.

Not a place for the kids to flip through the latest issue of Highlights, but the library will include an interactive policy gallery for the grown-ups with big ideas.

Lucky trio, school biz, after school biz

markjohnson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:29:39 -0400

HAPPY THREESOME: Lotteries in most states recently reported a downturn in revenue, though North Carolina has bucked the trend partly because of the surprise performance of the Pick 3 game. Sales have been strong despite the recession. Players spent more than $200 million on the game last year. (N&O)

LEARNING THE BIZ: North Carolina must be more earnest in creating specialty high schools and drawing up courses that match the needs of growing businesses in regions of the state, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton said Monday in kicking off a new state commission. (AP)

ALUMNI SHUFFLE: N.C. State University's interim chancellor has fired the head of the alumni association, saying the group was struggling financially and its membership had been stagnant for years. (N&O)

Dalton seeks to link high school, jobs

bniolet — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:01:38 -0400

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton has a cause.

In North Carolina, lieutenant governors have little real authority or duties and are left to carve their own niche in state government.

On Monday, Dalton is lauching a commission to help make high school more relevant.

The commission, Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) seeks to link high school with local economies. The panel will include 20 business and education leaders who will work on making high school graduates more prepared for a career.

"I’m excited about this opportunity to strengthen our high school curricula and make education more relevant for students," Dalton said. "They’ll be getting a leg up on 21st Century jobs, and our employers will benefit from a better-prepared workforce."

The JOBS Commission is a grant-funded legislative commission that will tour the state and try to build on the success of the state’s award-winning early college themed high schools, which give high school students a head start on a college degree, an associate’s degree or a job.

Dalton wrote the 2003 law that led to the establishment of more than 70 early college high schools across North Carolina.

Watch out, Walter

lbonner — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:42:20 -0400

Bryan Setser is running for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

For those of you who've just said to yourselves 'Bryan who?' Setser is the CEO of the Learn and Earn Online and N.C. Virtual Public School.

More than three years out from the next election, Setser appears to have planned a soft launch for the campaign. The Dome crew didn't get an official announcement. But true to his belief in social networking, Setser, who lives in Raleigh, is active on Facebook.

For those of you who've asked yourselves, 'Who's Walter?' - that's Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.

Dalton votes, ducks out

janestancill — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:55:12 -0400

The State Board of Community Colleges appeared to be headed for a unanimous vote this morning, as several members extolled the virtues of opening the doors to illegal immigrants.

But when the votes were cast, there was one quiet "nay" vote — from Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who had been silent during the discussion, reports Kristin Collins.

After the vote, one of Dalton's staffers passed out a written statement to reporters. It said the colleges should focus their limited resources on helping laid-off workers get new training, not educating illegal immigrants.

"Now is not the time to increase the demands on our already overburdened community college system," Dalton, a Democrat, said in the statement.

Community college officials said that they expect allowing illegal immigrants to enroll at out-of-state rates, about $7,700 a year, to add fewer than 150 students to the current total of about 800,000.

Before the board meeting ended, Dalton made a quiet exit. While most of the reporters stood in the building lobby, community college staffers escorted Dalton to a staircase just outside the meeting chambers.

When Dome asked Dalton to elaborate on his no vote, he said, "I've got a statement," before disappearing into the stairwell.

Board to admit illegal immigrants

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:07:44 -0400

Illegal immigrants will be allowed back into the state's community colleges.

All but one member of the the State Board of Community Colleges voted to allow them in at out-of-state tuition rates, Kristin Collins reports.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, a Democrat, was the only board member to vote no on the matter.

Other board members said the policy puts them in line with the UNC system policy.

"The whole economic prosperity of the United States depends on the education of the next generation," said State Treasurer Janet Cowell.

A committee of the State Board of Community Colleges recommended Thursday that undocumented students be admitted to degree programs, but they would have to pay out-of-state tuition, be denied financial aid, and be enrolled in classes only after legal students are given slots.

The full board vote today caps nearly two years of controversy over whether to allow illegal immigrants to enroll in degree programs at the state's 58 community college campuses.

Senate says good-bye

markjohnson — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:14:51 -0400

The N.C. Senate adjourned at 1:06 p.m., completing a lightning round six-minute session that was convened for the purpose of adjourning.

Six senators were on hand as Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton presided.

The House, which met at noon, recessed and is due back at 1:15 for a similarly brief appearance. No votes were taken, but several bills had to be signed and shifted from one chamber to the other.

The legislature reconvenes on May 12, 2010.

The cost of tree removal

kkiley — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:43:17 -0400

The billboard industry contributed a total of more than $160,000 to more than 30 legislative and statewide campaigns in North Carolina in the past four years, according to a new study by Democracy North Carolina, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

In that time, the industry has been pushing a bill that would increase the area around billboards where companies can remove trees. The bill passed the Senate in past years, but stalled several times in the House. It recently received approval by a House committee.

"The billboard industry is not one of the 10 biggest spending special-interest groups, like the big banks, utilities, and developers - but it is one of the most persistent," Democracy North Carolina said in a press release.

The contributions came from industry representatives, such as business owners, as well as the industry's political action committee. The PAC contributed $95,750.

"If you are an active organization, then you want to help the people who are good representatives and senators," said Tony Adams, executive director of the N.C. Outdoor Advertising Association, who noted that his organization's contributions are substantially less than other PACs.

More after the jump.

Cunningham wins Army award

bkrueger — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:48:40 -0400

Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, a potential Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, has received a top U.S. Army award.

Cunningham was one of 28 officers to receive the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey.

Only two other attorneys have been selected for the award. Cunningham served in Iraq as the senior counsel in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate from December 2007 until November 2008. He oversaw 27 attorneys.

A captain and paratrooper in the Army Reserves, Cunningham received a 15 pound bronze bust of McArthur at a ceremony last month in Washington.

Cunningham, 35, an attorney with Kilpatrick Stockton in Winston-Salem, has been moving around the state, trying to measure interest in his running against Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Other Democrats either considering the race or being courted include Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.

More water for Senate tea leaves

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:18:03 -0400

It's time to refresh the old cup of Senate tea leaves.

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2010 continues to be completely wide open, though it's increasingly clear that most of the major state officials will pass on it.

Here's the latest conventional wisdom:

THE LAST BIG HOPE: Washington Democrats and national political pundits continue to search for a brand name. U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre is still toying with a run, and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has lately dipped her toe in the water. A definitive "no" has not come from state Sen. Dan Blue yet.

DARK HORSES: Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham leads the pack of dark horses, though former Obama fundraiser Kenneth Lewis can't be counted out. Marshall's legislative liaison, Robert Wilson, told the Insider he was flirting with the idea, but he never returned Dome's calls and he would not likely run against his boss.

WHO'S NOT RUNNING: U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Sen. Malcolm Graham, state Reps. Grier Martin and Tricia Cotham, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, and Elizabeth Edwards have all said no. Of course, so did Kay Hagan in 2008.

In Dome's view, Marshall may actually make a run for it: 1) She's interested, since she ran for Senate in 2002; 2) she wouldn't lose her day job (unlike McIntyre or Blue); and 3) at 63, this is probably her last chance to do it.

That said, Cunningham has a good biography and seems to be exciting the netroots.