The appointment of Dr. Scott Ralls to succeed Martin Lancaster as president of the N.C. Community Colleges is good news for system advocates. Ralls currently is president of Craven Community College in New Bern and formerly served as head of workforce development in the community colleges system. He also was employed in the Department of Commerce.
Ralls has visited the Hosiery Technology Center in Hickory and was the featured speaker for the 40th anniversary of the Carolina Hosiery Association. He is 43 years old and poised to bring stability during an extended tenure. His starting salary is $275,000 a year. On of the first issues he will face when he takes office in April is whether undocumented immigrants should be admitted to community college classrooms. Look for the Legislature to become embroiled in this controversy when it convenes in May 2008.
DIVIDING LINE: The upcoming Republican primary race for the N.C. State Senate seat held by Austin Allran will identify where the heart of the party lies, according to some GOP observers in this area. Allran’s strength has been rooted with the conservative evangelical Christians. His opponent, Catawba County Commission Chair Kitty Barnes, has been identified with business leadership and educators. She formerly was chair of the Catawba County Board of Education. She has been involved in state issues as president of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners.
In her announcement, Barnes said the area needs representation by a senator more in touch with the economic needs of the region. That was the message of Democrat Lyndon Helton who tried to unseat Allran in 2006. Allran generally maintains a low profile in the state senator and is ranked among the bottom five in effectiveness.
CALLING IT QUITS: After 10 terms in the State Senate, John Kerr of Wayne County is retiring. He has served as co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee with Sen. David Hoyle who also has considered stepping down. Both are key allies of Senate President Marc Basnight. Donald Davis, mayor of Snow Hill, a Democrat, has announced he will seek the seat.
Kerr is the second high-profile senator to leave the Senate after the 2008 short session. Kay Hagen of Greensboro, co-chair of the Appropriations Committee, is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Elizabeth Dole.
NEW POLL: The newest poll shows Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue continues to lead
State Treasurer Richard Moore in the Democratic gubernatorial race. Perdue’s support was 41 per cent of those interviewed, with Moore garnering 32 per cent and 27 per cent undecided. The results were announced by Public Policy Polling, a firm hired by the state Democratic Party.
