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McCRORY TO ANNOUNCE MEDICAID SYSTEM OVERHAUL: Gov. Pat McCrory rejected a Medicaid expansion earlier this year saying the system was broken and Wednesday morning he is expected to describe how he plans to fix it. The Republican has talked frequently about the rising costs of the healthcare system for select low-income and disabled residents and issued a video preview Tuesday saying he would create a "partnership" that will help keep costs low. Check Dome later today for more details from the 10 a.m. press conference.

***It's a jam-packed day in North Carolina politics. Get the full scoop on all the big stories from the Dome Morning Memo below. Send tips and news to dome@newsobserver.com.***

Inside a weary, florescent-lit conference room on the first floor of the Legislative Building, House Democratic lawmakers gathered time and again in 2011 to confront a harsh reality: They didn't run the show anymore.

The historic power shift that unfolded in last year's legislative session left Democrats initially uncertain, wandering through unfamiliar territory and searching for an effective strategy to counter the zeal of Republicans, who spent more than a century without complete control of the legislature.

The new order meant there were fewer House Democrats and they huddled more often behind closed doors. But the discussions often lasted longer as Minority Leader Joe Hackney of Chapel Hill sought consensus from a fractured caucus that found itself on the defensive. "We do have a very diverse caucus," Hackney said. "And they're not a bunch of sheep."

Within the discussion in the House and Senate was a divide among Democrats about whether to take an obstructionist route with procedural wrangling or a cooperative path for bipartisan support.

In a series of recent interviews, N.C. Democratic lawmakers acknowledged miscalculations early in the legislative session but suggested they are finding their voice. And going forward, they expect to amplify their efforts in 2012. Read more here.