News-Record.com

Gov. Mike Easley held himself a little news conference this morning to sign a bill and take some questions. You can expect a bunch of these between now and Oct. 2. It's an easy way fro the governor to keep himself in front of the cameras and dole out the odd political favor. (It seems that an invite to one of these shindigs is a big deal for legislative types.)

Here's what was covered:

• The topic at hand was Senate Bill 1048, which carries the formal title of "The Identity Theft Protection Act of 2005."

  Basically, the bill is meant to protect consumers from criminals who steal personal information and then take out fraudulent loans and credit cards or even get arrested and give someone else’s name to the police.

  The marquis provision of the bill will allow consumers to freeze their credit reports, making it impossible for someone to take out a loan in their name. That begins Dec. 1.

• Apparently Easley was asked earlier this week when he would announce appointments to the lottery commission, the group that will run the new state numbers game. At the time he said, "early in the week."

  Well, the early week is running out and he was asked about this again today. His response: "It could be announced as early as today."

  Without the commission in place, nothing else lottery-related can happen.

• When asked about the sharp rise and subsequent slow drop in gas prices, Easley said he was considering joining other Democratic governors in calling on the feds to do something. He said that the recent supply interruption (and subsequent price spike) showed that the U.S. needed more refineries and shouldn't just keep all its supply down in one place (the gulf) where a big storm can interrupt the whole deal.

  Attorney General Roy Cooper, who was at the news conference as well, said his office was watching out for price gouging.

  "We have sent out a warning to retailers across the state letting them know that the price gouging law is in effect," Cooper said. He later said, "I think it's important of Congress to look into this issue."

• Easley actually make a couple of spontaneous funnies today. The first came after Cooper pointed out that there was only one glass of water to share for the speakers, much like conditions working in a tobacco field.

  Easley chortled and replied, "I haven't been in a tobacco patch since I got a drivers' license to make it to construction work."

  The last came at the end of the news conference, when reminded that the water providers were watching an emerging drought across the state carefully. There was a big rain storm here in Raleigh late Tuesday night / early Wednesday morning.

  "I was up late making it rain," Easley joked.