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Morning Memo: State to probe gambling money; contentious day in N.C. House

STATE ELECTION OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE GAMBLING DONATIONS: State elections officials are calling for an investigation of $235,000 in political donations to dozens of North Carolina candidates from an Oklahoma sweepstakes operator, contributions that they say may have violated state campaign finance laws, AP reported. Gov. Pat McCrory, state House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger are among those who received the checks, many of them mailed from a Charlotte lobbying firm where McCrory worked until just before he took office.

TODAY AT THE STATEHOUSE: The House will consider three highly contentious measures Tuesday: first, a sweeping immigration bill at 10 a.m. in House Judiciary Subcommittee B and a gun bill at the same time in House Judiciary Subcommittee A, and then, at 2 p.m., the full House convenes to hear a voter ID measure. Immigration advocates are expected to appear in full force at the legislative building today to lobby. Also today: a House panel will also consider a bill to adopt a state marsupial, among other state symbols, and a Senate committee will hear a bill to make hospitals more transparent in their billing.

Gov. Pat McCrory -- and legislative leaders -- will attend the NFIB meeting in Raleigh at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Later in the day, the governor will sign Kilah's Law (HB75) at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony at the Capitol.

Thanks for reading the Dome Morning Memo -- our thoughts are with Jamie and Nation Hahn's family and friends today. More North Carolina political news and analysis below.

Hagan ranks in Senate's ideological middle; Ellmers among most conservative

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan ranks in the ideological middle, according to the latest rankings from the National Journal. The Democrat, who faces re-election in 2014, ranks the 48th most liberal of the 100 senators, or 52 most conservative, depending on how you look at it.

Her Republican counterpart U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is the 23rd most conservative member in the chamber, the nonpartisan national political magazine found. National Journal ranked the lawmakers on 116 votes that showed differences in ideological viewpoint in the 112th Congress.

Among Democrats in the House, Congressman David Price is the most liberal at No. 32, followed by Mel Watt (45), former U.S. Rep. Brad Miller (83), G.K. Butterfield (121). On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick was the 32nd most conservative, followed by Reps. Renee Ellmers (43), Virginia Foxx (55), Patrick McHenry (62), Howard Coble (153) and Walter Jones (242).

Sen. Burr voices support for Helms name on post office

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is voicing his support for naming the historic Century Post Office in downtown Raleigh after the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

Congresswoman Renee Ellmers recently introduced legislation to name it the Jesse Helms Federal Building and United States Courthouse but encountered opposition from some who called it "morally wrong to reward intolerance," a reference to the senator's record.

"Jesse Helms was a transformative figure in our state’s history who placed service to his constituents above all other priorities in his public life," Burr said in a statement issued by his office Thursday. "Whether they agreed with him on political issues or not, North Carolinians had a dedicated advocate in Washington in Jesse Helms, and this bill will help to commemorate his legacy and his service to our state."

Burr rallies Republicans

Sen. Richard Burr helped open the Nash County GOP headquarters Thursday night, where he delivered a pep talk but made no mention of his Democratic opponent Elaine Marshall.

Burr called on Republicans to redouble their efforts this fall, saying a major shift was needed in the national government, Rob Christensen reports.

“You can't have a marginal election and believe you can change the direction of the country,” Burr told about 75 people in Rocky Mount.

 Burr used his father, a retired Presbyterian minister, as part of an anecdote.

“My dad is 89 years old,” Burr said. “I saw him last when I got back in town. He looked up at me and said, 'What is going on nationally?' and I shared with him. He looked up to me said, 'I apologize.' And I said, 'Apologize for what?'"

"'I fought in a war so you wouldn't have to deal with these things,'” Burr reported his father said.

“There are generations who are scared to death for different reasons right now,” Burr said. “What Republicans have to do is reach out to all of them. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or independents. I can tell you that Democrats are just as scared as Republicans.”

Also speaking were Renee Ellmers, the 2nd district GOP candidate, and Ashley Woolard, the first district congressional GOP candidate.

Ellmers, a nurse from Dunn, said Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge is really two people.

“He's North Carolina Bob, a good old country boy worried about the same things you and I are worried about. Then he goes back to Washington and becomes DC Bob. He becomes a liberal and votes with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama 97 percent of the time.”

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