CORRECTION: A report on N.C. House Democrats' legislative priorities in Thursday's Under the Dome column incorrectly reported the proposed pay raise for most state employees. The House plans to offer a 2.75 pay increase or $1,100, which ever is greater, said chief budget writer Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat.

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Illegal immigrants would continue to have access to state universities and community colleges under legislation filed this week by Democratic Reps. Pricey Harrison, Paul Luebke and Rick Glazier.

Their bill would prevent the UNC Board of Governors and the state Board of Community Colleges from requiring prospective students to disclose their immigration status. It was among the dozens of bills lawmakers filed this week just before the Wednesday deadline for legislation to be considered this session.

The bill does not prevent the universities and community colleges from charging much higher out-of-state rates for students who are not U.S. citizens. That's what they do now.

The legislation counters two other bills filed this session by Republican lawmakers that would prevent illegal immigrants from attending the state's universities and community colleges. The issue of those students' admission surfaced late last year when the community college system announced a new policy telling all 58 campuses that they should admit students regardless of their immigration status.

The national furor over that announcement led the system to get an opinion from state Attorney General Roy Cooper's office. That subsequent opinion found that the system could not admit illegal immigrants. The system has now announced it will no longer admit them. UNC officials say the issue isn't settled and therefore have not changed their policy to admit illegal immigrants.

The community colleges and the UNC system say a tiny percentage of their students are illegal immigrants.

Gov. Mike Easley has come out against barring these students from attending community colleges and UNC schools.

Democrats tell priorities

Dropout prevention, a sales-tax holiday for energy-efficient appliances and tougher oversight of mental health services were among the priorities N.C. House Democrats listed today for the current legislative session.

"This plan is one that's meant to address the issues of the people of North Carolina," said House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat.

Their one-page plan did not mention tax increases, which House Speaker Joe Hackney said are unlikely. It also provided no specifics about how much would be spent or cut as House members fashion their state budget proposal.

The plan spoke to "continuing" efforts to raise teachers' pay to the national average, though House members said they likely will not reach it this year. That means the House will not recommend the 7 percent increase that Gov. Mike Easley called for in his $21.5 billion budget proposal.

Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat and the House's chief budget writer, said this week that schoolteachers and administrators would receive 3 percent raises and that all other state employees would receive a 1.75 percent increase or $1,100, whichever is greater. Retirees would receive a 2.2 percent cost- of-living increase.

Much of the House Democrats' agenda is pitched toward lower- and middle-class families, with particular emphasis on those who serve in the military.

Other priorities House Democrats listed:

* Reducing foreclosures by providing mortgage counseling and more money to the Housing Trust Fund, which helps build affordable housing.

* Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit for lower-income working families and strengthening job training programs at community colleges.

* Providing tuition-free education at a community college or state university for children of veterans killed in service, and a property-tax exemption for service-related disabled veterans.

* More money for gang prevention programs and help to sheriffs who seek to enforce federal immigration law.

Rand: Keep Electoral College

State Sen. Tony Rand doesn't want to drop out of the Electoral College.

Though a bill is before the legislature to join North Carolina to a national compact to elect the president by popular vote, the Senate majority leader told Dome he's not interested.

"I don't think that's really a short session kind of bill," he said. "I think that would be one where we'd want to have a little more time to think about the implications."

Etheridge boosts food banks

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will tour food banks this week to promote part of the new farm bill, which he helped write.

Among Etheridge's stops will be a visit today to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh.

The five-year bill includes billions of dollars for nutrition and food assistance programs, including $50 million this year alone to help food banks wrestling with higher food and gas prices deal with emergency needs.

President Bush vetoed the bill, saying it did not do enough to reform subsidies to wealthy farmers. Congress is working to override the veto.

Other stops on Etheridge's tour include food banks and pantries in Clayton, Sanford and Olivia.

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