Charlotte Observer editorial page editor Taylor Batten had a blog post this week on the interesting way some bills are moving through committees:

We're inundated today with letters about the Senate's rejecting gun-control measures. Here's a look:

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger explains in a letter to the editor, printed on tomorrow's editorial page and online now, why Republicans are rejecting the Medicaid expansion:

Readers often ask whether we have all of The N&O's editorial board endorsements in one place. Here are our endorsements this year:

State legislators face off in a house vs. senate pit crew challenge with members of the Red Bull pit crew team Monday at the state legislature ... more

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole met with the editorial board today (cartoonist Dwane Powell's sketch above) and talked about what she sees as her main accomplishments in the Senate (the tobacco quota buyout, for one). She also addressed opponent Kay Hagan's main criticisms: that she never visits North Carolina (she does, too, it's just that the taxpayers don't pay for it so her visits don't show up on lists), that she isn't even from here (oh, please, she graduated from a North Carolina high school and went to Duke) and that she ever voted against the troops (her husband is a wounded war veteran). One of Hagan's biggest criticisms has been that Dole is basically George Bush. You can listen to Dole talk about how she differs from Bush in these two clips.

Kay Hagan spoke with the editorial board yesterday, offering her thoughts on the economy, on "Liddy" Dole, on Wachovia, on "Liddy" Dole, on tax cuts, on "Liddy" Dole, on health care, on "Liddy" Dole, on energy policy, on "Liddy" Dole, on the war and other issues. Cartoonist Dwane Powell was there. Catch the sketch here. On illegal immigration reform, Hagan said she would never support any measure that could be labeled "amnesty," though she agreed that it's unrealistic to deport 12 million people. When pressed on what policies might exist between blanket deportation and anything that could be called "amnesty," she had no answer, other than "I think we need to work together and figure that out."

You can listen to Hagan talk about how she differs from "Liddy" Dole here.