WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — State legislators from across the South are coming together in Winston-Salem over the next few days to network and share ideas.

The 63rd annual meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference opened yesterday in the Benton Convention Center and runs through Wednesday.

North Carolina is one of 16 states that make up the Southern Legislative Conference. The last time North Carolina hosted the conference was in Asheville in 1990.

This year, the conference program includes a forum on food safety, an overview of high speed rail initiatives, a discussion on autism and schools, and a review of the mortgage meltdown and state responses to it. Legislators are also participating in various workshops and committee meetings.
Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie, who co-chairs the Host State Committee with Sen. Linda Garrou, D-Forsyth, describes the conference as a “resource for knowledge.”

At the conference, legislators and judicial and executive branch members meet in one place to work on issues that are pertinent to their individual states.

“One of the neatest things is that you network with your counterparts in the other 15 states,” Howard said yesterday.

She likes having the opportunity to meet legislators at the conference than call them up later to talk about issues affecting states in the South.

“Most likely they’re working on the same issues that we are at any given time,” she said. “We can talk through it and share ideas of things that maybe you hadn’t thought about that another state has thought about.”

Rep. Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, said he is particularly interested in hearing views “on how to lower the costs of living and doing business in this state, relative to other states.”
Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, represents primarily a rural district. He is concerned about agriculture and urban sprawl.

“I felt like this would afford me an opportunity to learn how other states deal with encroaching suburbia that continues to take more and more of our agricultural land out of production,” Harnett said.

Organizers said that 1,000 people have registered for the conference.

Howell estimates conference-goers will spend as much as $10 million in Forsyth County and the Triad as they stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, buy merchandise, rent cars, use local airports and tour the area.

Rep. Earline Parmon, D-Forsyth, who is a member of the Host State Committee, said that conference participants have helped fill up most of the downtown hotels.

“We are pleased with the attendance,” she said.”

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama will attend a meeting of Asian and Pacific leaders in Singapore in November. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced the trip Thursday. Gibbs says Obama will attend the 17th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, set for Nov. 14 and 15.

The president is expected to visit other countries during the trip. The White House will announce details when those plans have been completed.

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama plans a prime-time news conference next week.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says Obama will answer questions in the East Room on Wednesday, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT.

It will be Obama’s third prime-time news conference.

The president held his first news conference in February, followed by a second in March.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – On Saturday, March 21, the Young Democrats of North Carolina will hold their 51st statewide convention in Asheville.  The largest assembly of Young Democrats to take place this year, the convention will showcase the role that individuals under age 35 played in the 2008 general election and what their agenda will be approaching the 2010 midterms.

Featured speakers will include Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Congressman Heath Shuler, Lt. Governor Walter Dalton, Charlotte City Councilman and mayoral candidate Anthony Fox, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair David Young, and numerous other officials — each of whom will be available for comment.

“Young people have become engaged in grassroots political activism with an energy and vigor unlike any seen in North Carolina for many years,” said President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina Zack Hawkins. “I am looking forward with great excitement to building on the momentum of 2008 and unveiling our plans for the future at our 51st statewide convention in Asheville, in the company of officials such as Governor Bredesen, Congressman Shuler, and many others.”    

WHAT:  Young Democrats of North Carolina Annual ConventioN
WHO: Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen
U.S. Representative Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Lt. Governor Walter Dalton
Charlotte City Councilman and Mayoral Candidate Anthony Foxx
Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy
N.C. Democratic Party Chair David Young
N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham
N.C. Rep. Jane Whilden
N.C. Rep. Grier Martin
Fmr. N.C. Sen. Cal Cunnungham
Asheville City Councilman Brownie Newman
Watauga County Commissioner Tim Futrelle

WHEN: Saturday, March 21 – 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Marriot Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senate and House Republicans will host a press conference Tuesday in the legislative press conference room at 9:30 a.m.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Republican Leader Paul Stam (R-Wake) will discuss a bill that codifies the Governor’s DOT actions, as well as a bill designed to provide transparency for all state appointments.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue will address an audience of life science leaders, industry executives and policy makers during the 18th Annual North Carolina Biotech Conference.  The two-day conference will feature world-renowned speakers and a variety of panel discussions on biotech industry topics and trends.  Governor Perdue will deliver remarks on “Biotech in the New Administration.”

The conference will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, 500 South Salisbury St. Monday. The governor will speak at 1:45 p.m.

WASHINGTON—The nation’s governors will discuss reforming the country’s health care system during the upcoming 2009 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting, which convenes later this month.

The discussion will occur during NGA’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee meeting on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C.

“More than 45 million people are uninsured, public programs are straining to afford the already frayed safety net and the coverage people receive is often unnecessarily expensive and at times of poor overall quality,” said Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, the committee’s chair. “This session is an opportunity for us to discuss ways to improve the quality of health care and meet the challenge making health care more affordable for all Americans.”

“Our nation loses money each year because of the poor health and premature deaths of uninsured Americans. This creates a significant burden on affected individuals and their families, as well as the state and federal economies,” said Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the committee’s vice chair. “Governors understand the need to find solutions to our system, and I look forward to discussing ways to provide quality, cost-effective health care to our citizens.”

Governors will be joined by Michigan Congressman John Dingell, chairman emeritus of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the U.S. House of Representatives, who will discuss the efforts underway in Congress to address broad national health care reform.

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt also will join the committee to discuss his unique perspective both as former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and former Utah governor and chair of NGA.

Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Governor Perdue will deliver the keynote address at the 2009 North Carolina Conference for Women.

The conference will take place at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St. at noon on Jan. 28.
Charlotte, NC 28202