Dome Memo: Pools, drilling, chairs

With the legislature back in town, Under the Dome is launching the Dome Memo, to give you a quick take on what happened in government that week.

If you've been busy, or simply weren't paying attention, this will be an easy way to catch up on what people are talking about in government and political circles.

It might be the latest on the budget, an update on a controversial bill or an assessment of how the governor fared. It may dip into what our congressional delegation is up to in D.C., or what the bureaucracy is doing in Raleigh.

Here's a quick taste:

POOL REPORT: U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan may need a fact-checker. After criticizing a "men-only" pool at the Senate, the Greensboro Democrat learned she was mistaken. The pool is open to female senators, but none use it. As Dome's former editor used to say, nothing ruins a good story like checking it out.

DRILLING DOWN: Have legislative leaders stacked the deck against drilling? A task force looking into offshore drilling has so many professors it could qualify as a faculty meeting. Industry representatives? Not so many. And a co-chair has already come out very publicly against drilling.

MUSICAL CHAIRS: On second thought, Gov. Beverly Perdue does want some say on the next state Democratic chair. Hoping to avoid a fight, Perdue stayed on the sidelines until coming out for former Buncombe County commissioner David Young earlier this week.

IN OTHER NEWS: Former Tar Heel James Taylor addressed attendees at the Eastern inaugural ball in Washington as "fellow Yankees," but he made up for it by getting them to sing along to "Carolina in My Mind." ... The legislature starts next today. Topic A will be the economy. There is no Topic B. ... Perdue has already dropped in on a state mental hospital and Department of Transportation workers. Probation officers might want to look busy for the next couple weeks. ... Some Dome readers have taken offense at the term "sin tax" for cigarettes and alcohol. For now, there are no state taxes on false idol worship, bearing false witness or adultery.