Here are some issues coming up in the next Congress that may be of special interest to residents of North Carolina:

Farm Bill

For the first time, the Farm Bill, up for a five-year reauthorization, will include no subsidies for tobacco and peanuts because of quota buyouts.

The massive bill contains subsidies for a host of other agricultural products and outlines regulations that farmers must follow.The bill also includes authority for the food stamp program.

Farmers in North Carolina will be looking for research dollars for specialty crops such as berries, vegetables and wine grapes. Interest in biofuels may propel Congress to invest in so-called cellulosic ethanol derived from crops such as sweet potatoes and switch grasses.

The World Trade Organization has accused the United States of unfair price supports for cotton, so the Farm Bill might address that matter.

Higher education

Democrats have pledged to lower student loan rates in their first 100 hours in leadership. Some critics, though, worry that lowering the rates would cost billions of dollars and could give colleges incentives to raise tuition.

North Carolina's congressional delegation will be watching to protect programs that benefit capital projects at the historically black colleges and universities. There are 10 such campuses in the state.

Members also will try to ensure that job-training programs benefiting community colleges stay in place.

No Child Left Behind

The school accountability program that aims to close the achievement gap between rich and poor students is up for renewal next year.

Democrats, who may hold hearings early next year, have criticized Republicans for not fully funding the program. Schools in North Carolina have tried to make the No Child Left Behind program work, though some call for its overhaul.

Lumbee recognition

Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Rep. Mike McIntyre's bills to grant full federal recognition to the Lumbee tribe of Robeson County have been blocked by senators from other states with Indian populations. It's unclear whether the legislation will fare better in the next Congress.

Offshore drilling

Legislation that would have allowed drilling for oil and natural gas off the North Carolina coast passed the House this year but not the Senate. Still, the idea gained support because the state stood to receive some revenue and would have had some say over drilling close to shore.

It's unclear whether offshore drilling will return as a major issue. But if natural gas prices jump again, energy companies might push for drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, including off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina.

Magnuson-Stevens Act

The law that governs the national fishing industry -- including that in North Carolina -- was up for reauthorization this year but wasn't completed. The law regulates commercial fishing practices and sets quotas. Environmental groups are pushing for tougher requirements to end overfishing in U.S. waterways.

Judicial nominations

President Bush might renominate U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle of Edenton to a seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, a step from the U.S. Supreme Court. Boyle's nomination has been stymied this year by opposition from civil rights groups and police unions. He has little hope next year, when Democrats will control the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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