They've finally adjourned, but there's no guarantee that the North Carolina Senate can go home.

The General Assembly worked until sunrise to just about finish this year's legislative session. Senate leader Marc Basnight gave up on passing a lottery before going home and he said that, barring unusual circumstances, the lottery is dead for the year. It may come up again when lawmakers reconvene in May.

Legislators managed to approve new lobbying rules, and the Senate agreed to a compromise on new regulations of sales of cold medicines in pharmacies and other stores to curb methamphetamine production.

The House quit at 4 a.m. with plans to return Wednesday afternoon. The Senate left around 6:30 a.m.

Basnight told senators not to expect to return to Raleigh again this year for floor votes, but the House has several bills it would like the Senate to consider. House members could reject a formal request by the Senate to leave, putting adjournment in limbo.