News-Record.com

This is very exciting to people who follow the legislature closely; from Speaker Black's office:

RALEIGH -- N.C. House Speaker Jim Black (D-Mecklenburg) announced today that he has broadened the House leadership and has named Reps. Mickey Michaux (D-Durham), Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham) and Marian McLawhorn (D-Pitt) as the new tri-chairmen of the House Rules Committee. The three legislators have served in the House for a combined 47 years and they represent districts in the Triad, Triangle and Eastern North Carolina.

"We've got so many issues to deal with in the short session that I believe that we need to broaden the House leadership and divide the duties of the Rules Committee chairman among three very strong and experienced legislators," Speaker Black said. "Mickey Michaux, Nelson Cole and Marian McLawhorn will help us accomplish our goals and get things done in a more timely, efficient and productive way."

The 2006 short session of the N.C. General Assembly begins on Tuesday, May 9 at noon.

"Our state continues to face challenges when it comes to educating our children, creating new jobs and providing affordable health care to our people," Speaker Black said. "Starting on Tuesday, legislators will begin work on these and many other important issues, and I believe that we can make progress and continue to move our state forward if we all work together. I welcome cooperation from across the aisle and I hope that we can all keep the needs of the people of North Carolina in the forefront of our minds at all times. We were all elected to do the people's business in Raleigh and I think this new model of tri-chairs will help us accomplish that goal."

The previous chairman of the House Rules Committee, former Rep. Bill Culpepper (D-Chowan), was appointed by Gov. Mike Easley to the N.C. Utilities Commission in January.

What folks in the Triad need to know: Nelson Cole has just become one of the most powerful legislators in the state House. The Rules Committee is a funny animal, but among other things is can basically revive or kill any piece of legislation winding its way through the House. Short of the Speaker, there's no more powerful position in the chamber...although it's interesting that the job has been split up into three parts.