North Carolina's new athletics scholarship program for some public and private college students appears to be unusual compared with other states, according to a review of legislation by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bipartisan organization, which provides research and technical expertise to state legislatures, found that only a handful of states have set up programs outside of the typical booster clubs that help pay for athletics scholarships.

None says that general fund revenues will help pay for the scholarships, as North Carolina now does.

Three states, Nebraska, Nevada and Wisconsin, have vanity license plate fees that can be directed toward athletics departments, though only Nevada specifies that some of the proceeds can go toward athletics scholarships.

New Mexico allows student tuition and fees to go toward athletics scholarships, while Florida allows part of a financial aid fee for community college students to go toward athletics scholarships.

One state, Kansas, forbids any public funds from being used for athletics scholarships.

Last month, North Carolina lawmakers passed a budget that includes a provision for 20 students at the state's 10 historically black colleges to receive a partial athletics scholarship worth $1,250 annually. The provision was put into the final version just hours before the vote and received no debate.

Government watchdogs said the $500,000 provision was another example of questionable legislation that would not survive if offered in a stand-alone bill.

It appears to be the first time the state has directly funded athletics scholarships, though two years ago, thanks to a provision in the 2005 budget, lawmakers began allowing athletics scholarships for out-of-state recruits to be charged at in-state tuition rates.

Late last week, House Minority Leader Paul Stam, an Apex Republican, slammed the provision and several others, saying they violated the House's rules on prohibiting additional items that were in neither the House's nor Senate's budget bill from being inserted into the final package.

"Previously, under the reign of Speaker [Jim] Black, the rules were generally ignored," Stam said. "In 2007, the Rules of the House were generally followed, except with respect to the final budget, in which the most important rule was obliterated, at great cost to the taxpayers."

Romney among friends

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Raleigh next week to raise money.

Supporters hope to raise a six-figure sum for Romney at an event at the Wakefield home of Jim Rutherford, general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, and his wife, Leslie.

This will be Romney's first appearance in North Carolina since he announced his presidential bid.

"We have a good ways to go in North Carolina," said Hill Carrow, a Raleigh sports marketer who is Romney's state coordinator. "A lot of people don't necessarily know Mitt. He's been in other parts of the country more."

The event Aug. 30 will cost $500 per person. People will pay more for a photograph and a special reception.

A boon for gift givers

Gov. Mike Easley and state Sen. Bob Atwater are doing battle with Scrooge.

Easley signed into law Monday a bill that requires gift card vendors to disclose any maintenance fees. Consumer advocates have said consumers are often initially unaware of the fees.

Easley, in a statement, said the new law "will prevent consumers from becoming unwitting cheapskates when they give a gift."

And Atwater, the Chatham County Democrat who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that the bill will assure consumers "that their generosity is not subverted by a hidden Scrooge."

Correction

A forum on whether North Carolina prosecutors have too much or too little power will be held Wednesday evening at The Cardinal Club in Raleigh.

The panel discussion, sponsored by The Federalist Society, is scheduled to include Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby, Senate Republican leader Phil Berger and former federal prosecutor Kieran Shanahan.

Dome erroneously reported that the event would be held tonight.