Joe Hackney asks Obama for state stimulus

Joe Hackney is hitting up Barack Obama for money.

On Nov. 12, the speaker of the state House wrote a letter to the incoming president asking for an economic stimulus package to include funding for states.

"As you know, 49 states have requirements to balance their budgets each year," he wrote.

"During uncertain economic times, the decisions that state legislatures and governors have to make to keep their budgets balanced -- cutting spending, raising taxes or both -- can have the pro-cyclical effect of deepening and prolonging any slump."

The letter outlines options for a stimulus package that would include more spending on repairing and replacing infrastructure, boosting Medicaid, food stamps and other social welfare programs and changing sales tax collection.

The letter was sent on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures, for which Hackney serves as president.

Law license suspended

Claude Allen will have his law license suspended for 90 days.

The former White House adviser and protege of Sen. Jesse Helms will have his license suspended following a series of thefts from Target stores, the Legal Times reports.

Allen pleaded guilty in 2006 to stealing from a Target store in Montgomery County, Md. Store video showed that Allen would buy items from Target or Hecht's, take the purchases to his car, then use the receipt to return a similar item off the store shelf.

A committee of the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility said Allen should receive a "modest sanction" because he internalized suffering of victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Allen has been a member of the D.C. bar since 1992.

He has already had his license suspended for similar amounts of time in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Easley aide gets new job

Hawley Truax is heading to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

The senior policy adviser to Gov. Mike Easley will work for the Winston-Salem-based nonprofit, which focuses on social justice, environmental and community projects.

Former Democratic labor commissioner candidate Mary Fant Donnan also works at the foundation.

Truax was one of two Easley advisers who got in trouble in 2007 for helping a longtime Easley ally arrange a private consulting business.

With Easley's second term drawing to a close, many of his top advisers are leaving for other jobs.

Former budget adviser Dan Gerlach now heads the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Black, female, GOP and in

There have been a lot of firsts this election -- first black president, first female governor for North Carolina.

But one first has been overlooked.

Pearl Burris Floyd was elected the first black Republican woman to North Carolina's state legislature.

Floyd, a Gaston County commissioner, won the state House seat previously held by Rep. Debbie Clary, who was elected to the state Senate.

Floyd is the anatomic pathology section chief at Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. She campaigned as "a thoughtful conservative," and her Web site includes a picture of her with President George W. Bush -- a rarity in this political season.

She was also the first black Gaston County commissioner.

Business group's kudos

A small business group is honoring nine North Carolina politicians.

The National Federation of Independent Business is giving the Guardian of Small Business award to U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Reps. Sue Myrick, Patrick McHenry, Howard Coble, Walter Jones, Virginia Foxx and Heath Shuler.

Except for Shuler, all of the recipients are Republicans.

The award is given to members of Congress who voted with the group at least 70 percent of the time. This past session, the NFIB opposed bills that would allow "card check" unionization and make it easier to file claims of pay discrimination. It supported bills to aid small businesses.

The highest score went to Myrick, who voted with the NFIB 90 percent of the time, or all but one of 11 votes. The lowest went to Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who voted with the group 50 percent of the time.

Fifty-eight senators and 194 representatives will receive the Guardian award this year.

(Rob Christensen contributed to this report.)