From MyFox8.com (2/10/11): North Carolina's House speaker is defending a closed-door meeting by the chamber's Republican caucus in which GOP members heard from lobbyists about the pros and cons of legalizing video poker.
Speaker Thom Tillis of Mecklenburg County said the meeting Thursday by several House Republican lawmakers in the Legislative Office Building was designed to help members collect information on the controversial issue without the glare of the media in a committee meeting.