BOOT OR NO BOOT: Gov. Bev Perdue is mulling a policy that would give the boot to any of her appointees who are under indictment or who refuse to cooperate with investigators. Presumably without the policy it would be okay for appointees to continue serving while [...]
It has become an annual Thanksgiving tradition for Dome to imagine what some of the state's politicos may be most thankful for during this holiday season.
For the full list, check out Under the Dome in print editions of The News & Observer. Dome online will be running a light [...]
A California software company has received the contract to build an e-mail archive system for the state.
Mimosa Systems of Santa Clara, Calif., got the $694,448 contract to install, implement and maintain the archiving system, which will archive all messages that clear the state's spam filters.
Gov. Bev Perdue [...]
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is leading other candidates in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate by a wide margin.
Marshall is the choice of 42 percent of voters in a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling. Chapel Hill lawyer Kenneth Lewis has 7 percent and [...]
State Treasurer Janet Cowell was in the loop on a controversial financing plan to finish building Charlotte’s Interstate 485 — but she did not object until a few hours after it was announced by Gov. Bev Perdue, state transportation officials said today.
Perdue told Charlotte leaders on Nov. [...]
President Barack Obama has pardoned a turkey from Goldsboro named "Courage."
For 50 years, the National Turkey Federation has been delivering birds to the White House. It was only 20 years ago that the tradition of "pardoning" the turkey entered into the tradition.
"Courage" was raised in Goldsboro [...]
The N.C. Republican Party on Tuesday hired Russell Peck to be its new executive director.
Peck was heavily involved in the victory of Republican Chris Christie in New Jersey's governor's race earlier this month, Rob Christensen reports. Christie defeated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine. Peck had worked last year as North [...]
With Sarah Palin drawing huge crowds on her book tour, and debate continuing about her qualifications for higher office, the Atlantic decided to do a little thinking about who was the worst pick for vice president.
The nominees are (drum roll please):
1. Spiro Agnew. (Richard Nixon)
2. Richard Nixon. (Dwight [...]
LOOP TROUBLE: Gov. Bev Perdue appears committed to moving forward with a special financing plan for finishing Charlotte's Interstate 485 despite questions raised by Treasurer Janet Cowell about the proposed funding mechanism. Backing away from the interstate now could be a minor disaster for Perdue, who [...]
State Treasurer Janet Cowell is not yet signing off on a complicated funding mechanism for finishing the I-485 loop around Charlotte, a step that Gov. Bev Perdue announced with considerable trumpeting earlier this month.
Cowell's spokeswoman, Melissa Waller issued a statement this afternoon saying:
In the absence of contracts specifying [...]
Twenty state lawmakers have signed a letter calling for an investigation into a campaign by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. that was meant to thwart Democratic proposals for health care legislation.
The letter complains of robocalls made by the insurer as well as the fact that the [...]
Gov. Bev Perdue says her staff is exploring a policy that would give the boot to appointees under indictment.
Perdue, a Democrat, was responding to a letter sent by Democratic consultant and watchdog Joe Sinsheimer. The letter called on Perdue to unappoint Ruffin Poole from the Golden [...]
There are plenty of N.C. voters who think both Democrats and Republicans are corrupt.
A poll of 711 state voters by Public Policy Polling found that 45 percent believe that Democrats are corrupt while 27 percent think they are not. The poll also found that 37 percent of voters believe [...]
Gov. Bev Perdue was in Winston-Salem Monday where she delivered the 4 millionth meal since the Meals on Wheels program began there in 1962.
Perdue delivered the meal to Nancy Hooper, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.Perdue, 62, joked that she may be getting food from Meals [...]
TANK INSURANCE: A new state report says it is time for businesses with underground gas or oil tanks to buy insurance to cover the costs of any cleanup needed because of leaks. The state has a backlog of more than 6,500 leaks that will take another 25 years [...]
An estimated 1,500 people lined up at a PX store at Fort Bragg this morning to see former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and have her sign copies of her new memoir.
Palin greeted people at a table just inside the door of the North Post Exchange, a Wal-Mart-size department [...]
The folks at the Civitas Institute have declared a winner in their "bad bill of the year" contest.
Senate Bill 848, which would allow illegal immigrants to enroll in the state's community colleges, defeated House Bill 120, which would allow public financing of municipal campaigns, to win [...]
The N.C. Republican Party has rejected a proposal to ban unaffiliated voters from participating in its primaries.
Meeting over the weekend in Raleigh, the party's Executive Committee voted by a wide margin to reject a plan to bar independents.
Among those strongly opposing the effort were the leaders of the [...]
On recent trip to the Middle East, U.S. Rep. David Price said he was impressed in Pakistan and Afghanistan with a certain segment of their parliaments: women.
"We paid special attention to women members of parliament — who are a pretty aggressive group," said Price, a Chapel [...]
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Rick Elmore has announced he will run for re-election in 2010, reports Mandy Locke.
Elmore was initially elected to the court in 2002. Prior to that, he practiced law in Greenboro, specializing in criminal defense and real property law. He represented indigent clients in state [...]
The new state Senate majority leader is in a key position to advance ethics reforms this year.
State Sen. Martin Nesbitt, an Asheville Democrat, is not only the majority leader. He is chairman of a committee where three ethics bills are awaiting action, the Asheville Citizen-Times [...]
Members of the N.C. Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism said they are "saddened" by Sen. Kay Hagan's decision to withdraw her support from a judicial nominee.
Hagan asked the White House earlier this month to withdraw Superior Court Judge Calvin Murphy's name from consideration for a federal [...]
Soon-to-be-resigning Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat, will be remembered for many things, but helping launch the marijuana smoke-enveloped Peachtree Celebration likely is not one.
State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin's "Wayne's World" blog, though, explains Rand's role in the 1972 rock festival, a veritable Woodstock-come-to-Richmond-County, complete with [...]
State Treasurer Janet Cowell has issued two new ethics rules for her office, the latest in her efforts at reform.
Employees are banned from accepting any gifts from companies that do business with the department, and staffers covered by the state ethics law are prohibited from soliciting [...]
HAT'S OFF: Lid blown on trooper firing. (N&O)
FAMILY LABEL: The father-son combo running New Hanover County's liquor stores together make nearly $348,000-a-year, and the state is taking a look at all local ABC salaries. (Star-News)
TUITION RISING: N.C. State raises the tab for students. (N&O)
[...]
As President Barack Obama continues to ponder the future of American troops in Afghanistan, U.S. Rep. David Price stressed this week that the matter isn’t just one for the military.
"Nobody thinks this should be a rushed decision – or a decision that should just be about the [...]
There has been some grumbling among lobbyists who thought it was inappropriate that they received a campaign solicitation from Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, whose office regulates lobbyists.
Marshall, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate race next year, sent out an e-mail solicitation on her birthday [...]
Local school districts no longer have to hunt for former students who left school without diplomas to offer them the chance at the credential.
Former students who did not graduate because they failed state competency or computer skills tests are now eligible for diplomas if they earned enough credits, Lynn Bonner [...]
Recent overpayments to hospitals by the state health plan are more evidence of the need to put the plan under new management, said the State Employees Association of North Carolina.
A preliminary audit last week showed six hospitals owe the state $2.5 million for overcharges.
"Overpayments in those amounts are [...]
N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight told the state’s congressional delegation today that North Carolina doesn’t need any more study about a Navy outlying landing field.
The Navy, he wrote, can save its money.
“I am pleased to inform you that these studies and their significant costs are [...]
Generally speaking, folks don't like taxes.
But North Carolinians seem divided on the question of tax fairness, according to a new poll by Elon University.
Almost half (48 percent) of North Carolina residents polled Nov. 16-19 say the current state tax system is either "not at all fair" or "not too [...]
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr said on the Senate floor this morning that health reform should empower Americans to make healthier choices.
In a conversation ahead of a key Senate vote Saturday about health reform, Burr criticized the bill put forward by Democrats, reports Barb Barrett. He said [...]
Rep. Wil Neumann, a Belmont Republican, plans to run for the Gaston County senate seat currently held by Sen. David Hoyle, a Democrat who lives in Dallas.
The district is Republican, but Hoyle has managed to hold the seat because of his pro-business record and ties to the [...]
With the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee trying to recruit former state Sen. Cal Cunningham into the race, Elaine Marshall has issued a poll memorandum arguing why she would be a strong opponent of Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.
The memo by her pollster, [...]
The N.C. Republican Party's top legislative leaders asked party officials not to block independents from voting in the Republican primary.
Republican candidates have to form a coalition with independents to win races in the state, wrote Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger, of Eden, House Republican [...]
Voters are slightly more likely to vote for Republican legislative candidates, according to a recent poll.
The GOP has independents to thank, since they said they would vote Republican by a wide margin, according to the survey by Public Policy Polling.
Voters said they would vote Republican in state legislative races [...]
