CORRECTION

Items in Wednesday's and Sunday's Under the Dome incorrectly identified the national position that House Speaker Joe Hackney was named to last week. He is president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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North Carolina is sending more than 70 legislators and legislative staffers this week to the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual meeting in New Orleans, where House Speaker Joe Hackney will be installed Thursday as president of the organization's executive committee.

The list includes 42 legislators, all but five of them House members. Senate leader Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, is among the five senators, all of them Democrats. Five of the 37 House members are Republican.

Thirty-two legislative staffers were planning to attend, though one of them, retiring fiscal research director Lynn Muchmore, later decided to stay home.

Hackney's ascendancy may have drawn more legislators to the meeting this year. In 2006, about 20 attended the annual meeting in Nashville, and last year about 30 went to the meeting in Boston, said Wesley Taylor, the legislature's financial services manager.

Expenses won't become available until after the legislators and staffers return and file expense reports, Taylor said.

NCSL provides research and expertise to legislatures across the country, and its annual meetings draw thousands of legislators, staffers, lobbyists and others.

Hackney began his path to the top spot in 2006 when he was elected vice president of the executive committee. The vice president is automatically promoted to president-elect the next year and then to the presidency the year after that.

As president, Hackney will become a chief spokesman for NCSL and for state legislatures across the country. At the annual meeting, legislators vote on policy positions that Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, will later present to federal lawmakers.

"He's going to be busy," said Michelle Blackston, NCSL's media and public affairs director.

No surprises there

Pollsters might consider saving their money for the next few weeks.

Polling in the gubernatorial race is basically stagnant, with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beverly Perdue maintaining a slight lead over Republican Pat McCrory in almost every poll since the May 6 primary.

Even the addition of Libertarian Mike Munger to the polling barely moved the needle.

The six polls were conducted by the conservative Civitas Institute, the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling and national firm Survey USA.

They show Perdue's support ranging from 42 percent to 47 percent, with a lead of 1 point to 4 points over McCrory. Munger gets between 2 percent and 5 percent support.

In all of the polls, Perdue's lead is within the margin of sampling error.

Only one poll differed. Taken from May 8 to 9, it showed Perdue and McCrory tied at 45 percent.

The bottom line: Voters are not paying much attention to the race this summer.

Libertarian files finance report

Munger received $12,515 through the end of June.

The Libertarian gubernatorial nominee raised $5,026 during the second quarter, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included Raleigh attorney Donna Gingerella, Chapel Hill resident Thomas Hohman, former Libertarian nominee Barbara Howe and Morganton retiree Janette Paulson.

He also gave his own campaign $100.

At the same time, he spent $3,786, leaving him with $5,338 in cash on hand.

McCrory goes to New Bern

McCrory is heading into his opponent's backyard.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee will go today to New Bern, Perdue's home base.

McCrory will tour BSH Home Appliance Corp., then speak to the Craven County Republican Women's Club at the Chelsea Restaurant. Afterward, he'll attend the grand opening of the Craven County Republican headquarters.

The visit is part of a statewide jobs listening tour.