THE BACKUP: Multiple groups, including the Hagan campaign itself, have used this number, but one of the first places it hit prominently was a memo from American Bridge, a research and communication organ that supports Democratic campaigns and causes.
"Don’t take my word for it – take a look at Tillis’s abysmal track record in the state House and his extreme rhetoric on the campaign trail. In the state legislature, Tillis has cut education funding by nearly $500 million, " American Bridge Director Brad Woodhouse wrote in a memo.
Since then, those making the claim have most frequently cited an Associated Press story that details the 2013 budget and a Charlotte Observer opinion piece, as well as the 2013 budget document itself.
"The $11.5 billion portion of the state budget set aside for public schools, community colleges and the University of North Carolina system cuts education spending by nearly $260 million this year and another $222 million next year, " says that AP story.
So, $222 million plus $260 million is $482 million, just shy of $500 million. Case closed, right? Not so fast.
That's a cut from what lawmakers call "the continuation budget." That budget, developed every two years, projects what the state would need to spend in order to keep operations exactly as is. This continuation figure assumes no changes in policy and no savings due to efficiency.
Republicans use a different set of numbers.
THE PUSH BACK: Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, provided the GOP push-back to the $500 million claim in a letter to the editor."The total education budget in 2010-11 (last budget passed before Thom Tillis assumed the role of House speaker ...) was $10.8 billion. The total education budget for 2014-15 is $11.8 billion. Give this math problem to a fourth-grade student, and he or she will tell you that this is a $1 billion increase in education funding, " he wrote.
