Congress is bringing its summer road show on illegal immigration to North Carolina today, scheduling a hearing in Gastonia to hear from local law enforcement officials.

U.S. Reps. Sue Myrick of Charlotte and Patrick McHenry of Cherryville, both Republicans, organized the subcommittee hearing.

The hearing is among dozens being held across the nation this summer. Several House committees are trying to gather information about illegal immigration in the wake of the Senate's passage of an immigration bill that some House members see as too lax. A House bill passed last fall, and there is an ongoing debate about how to merge the two bills.

"I think you see a lot more focus on [hearings in] the border states, but we have a lot of illegal aliens in the interior of the country," said Aaron Latham, a spokesman for McHenry. "We're not a border state, but this is definitely something we deal with."

The tentative schedule for today's hearing includes testimony from two local sheriffs, the regional Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief agent, a county district attorney and the mother of Scott Gardner, who was killed by a drunken illegal immigrant with prior convictions for drinking and driving.

McHenry and U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, serve on the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, part of the House Committee on Government Reform.

Subcommittee chairman U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana Republican, will moderate the forum. Myrick also will be in attendance.

The forum is scheduled for 10 a.m. at 197 W. Main St., in Gastonia. Call (704) 861-1976 to attend.

GOP's Senate surprise

The GOP Senate campaign committee headed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole continues to trail its Democratic counterpart in fundraising. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign raised $3.3 million in July, leaving it with $20.6 million in the bank, according to records filed to the Federal Elections Commission and reported this week by Political Moneyline.

That's short of the $4.2 million raised in July by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The Democrats have $35 million on hand.

Learning from scandal

Crooked politicians are not usually hot draws on the lecture circuit. But with multiple investigations under way in Raleigh, the John Locke Foundation has decided to bring one to town.

Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who was released from federal prison in February, is scheduled to speak to the Locke Foundation in Raleigh on Oct 3.

After serving seven years as governor, Rowland went to prison because of graft-related charges including having state contractors make improvements on his beach cottage.

He is working on a book called "Falling Into Grace."

"At the national and state level, this has been a season of scandal," said John Hood, the group's president. "It is a legitimate question to ask: How do politicians get themselves into these situations? What leads them to commit crimes or unethical acts? What kinds of temptations do politicians perceive to be involved in this conduct?"

DHHS lawyer leaving

Satana DeBerry, a lawyer for the state Department of Health and Human Services for more than five years, is leaving to go work for the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore.

The foundation is a grant-making organization that supports policies and projects centering on children and families.

Deberry started work for the department in April 2001. Her last day is Sept. 1.

Regional leader of AGs

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper has been selected to serve as chairman of the southern region of the National Association of Attorneys General. The region covers 15 states from West Virginia to Texas.

Cooper hopes to hold a meeting in North Carolina later this year of all the southern attorneys general to discuss the problem of drug trafficking.