Thompson has good ratings with state GOP

Fred Thompson has taken the lead among state Republicans.

According to a survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" star, who hasn't officially declared himself a candidate for president, jumped to 37 percent support.

The previous front-runner, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, fell to 25 percent, followed by Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 14 percent.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards maintained a lead of 30 percent in the race for the Democratic nomination. Sen. Hillary Clinton was at 26 percent and Sen. Barack Obama at 22 percent of state Democrats, according to the same poll.

The June 4 survey of 593 likely Democratic voters and 603 likely Republican voters has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.

Spending gap

The UNC Board of Governors promised a full-court press in the weeks ahead to try to win over House members as budget talks proceed.

A wide gulf in spending exists between the House and Senate versions of the budget for higher education. UNC leaders prefer the Senate version, with 5 percent faculty raises, $8 million for a research fund and $16.5 million next year for the Kannapolis research campus. It also includes money for UNC Online and summer programs to help prepare incoming freshmen for college. There are items the UNC system didn't ask for, including big bucks for cancer research.

The House version, on the other hand, mandates sizable cuts, including an $18.6 million "middle management" reduction and another $68 million cut that would eliminate 1,000 vacant positions.

Board Chairman Jim Phillips suggested Thursday that board members remind legislators that UNC has cut its own budget and forged new relationships with the community colleges.

"This is an opportunity not to just say, 'Can you give us $2 million for this?' but to give them a reason to want to do that," Phillips said.

Illness in family

Sen. Marc Basnight's wife is being treated in Chapel Hill.

Earlier, the Senate president pro tem's staff would not confirm that Sandy Basnight was the family member whose illness prompted his absence this week.

But on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. David Hoyle gave an update on her condition.

"I saw Marc this morning," Hoyle said. "He's in good spirits. He says that Sandy is holding on. In fact, her numbers are improving.

"The family is optimistic that she is absolutely receiving the best care that anyone can receive."

Basnight's office has declined to release any other information about the illness. He has been away from the Senate since Tuesday, but staffers say he remains engaged in negotiating the state budget.

Director overpaid

A state review released Thursday of an Anson County nonprofit said that its former executive director was overpaid by roughly $36,000. The review also said the executive director, who was not named, had spent more than $6,500 on questionable and "possibly fraudulent" charges such as a vet bill, car parts and Christmas items.

The head of the Anson County Domestic Violence Coalition, which has received about $400,000 in state funds since 2004, resigned in February as some of the spending came to light. The audit found that the coalition's board had "rubber-stamped" many of the expenditures and lacked internal controls to catch misspending.

Chris Mears, a spokesman for the auditor's office, said the troubles show the need for better oversight of the nonprofits that get state money each year.

State budget proposals by the House and Gov. Mike Easley would give the state auditor's office an additional $180,000, mostly toward nonprofit oversight. But the Senate budget recommended no extra money and even cut $50,000 from the office.