Expect an overwhelming feeling of deja vu at today's public hearing at the General Assembly on new legislative districts.

It'll start with maps you've seen before. Legislators will be gathering comments on plans drawn by a judge last year that aren't any good anymore.

It will continue with arguments you can mouth along with the speakers. Expect to hear calls for a nonpartisan redistricting commission and warnings about following to the letter the state Supreme Court's rules on drawing districts.

Though public hearings are usually held to get feedback on new ideas rather than old ones, Rep. Rick Eddins, Republican chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, said he expects valuable comments from the hearing.

"Why would you start with a new map?" he asked. "If you had all those answers, you wouldn't need the hearing then."

Switching agencies

Willie D. Riddick jumped this week from the state Department of Revenue, where he was a legislative liaison, to the state Department of Transportation, where he's the new deputy secretary for administration and business development.

Riddick said he enjoyed his nearly 11 years at Revenue, but he wanted to try something new.

"It sounded like a rather unique challenge," he said. "I thought I'd like to take a shot at it."

As part of his job, Riddick will oversee the Civil Rights Office, including the program that seeks to get businesses owned by minorities and women a slice of DOT contracts. The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program has become a focus in recent years because contracting with those firms has fallen short of expectations.

Before going to Revenue, Riddick worked as a district supervisor for more than 15 years for the late U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones.

Showing compassion

Former state Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps listened for days to former friends and employees testify in state court about her covering up illegal campaign fund-raising. But at the Wake County jail one afternoon, she saw at least one friendly face other than those of her attorneys.

Sen. Charlie Albertson, a Duplin County Democrat, had a short jailhouse visit with Phipps the first week in November, between her stops in state and federal court.

"People go to jail, and we have a tendency to forget about them," Albertson said. "She's a child of God just like the rest of us. So are the other people in prison."

Albertson said he didn't know Phipps well, but she made a few appearances at his Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee meetings.

Raising campaign cash

George Little will bring in some big-name Tar Heel Republicans on Friday to help him raise money for his gubernatorial campaign.

Former Gov. Jim Holshouser, former Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner and former First Lady Dottie Martin will attend the event that will be held at the Fair Barn in Southern Pines. But the biggest draw to the event -- costing between $100 and $1,000 -- might be The Embers, the famous beach music group.

Little, a Southern Pines insurance agent and community college leader, is a longtime political fund-raiser for Holshouser, Gardner and former Gov. Jim Martin. He is among a large field of candidates seeking the GOP primary next May. The winner will challenge Democratic Gov. Mike Easley.