Greensboro News & Record

Hagan's '07 push to end temporary taxes

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:43:34 -0400

Kay Hagan tried to end the temporary taxes in 2007.

Two recent ads have attacked the Democratic Senate candidate over her votes for temporary taxes instituted in the 2001 budget and later extended, so Dome is taking a closer look at her record.

As a budget writer in 2007, Hagan pushed to let both taxes expire, according to an Associated Press article on May 30 of that year:

In what's likely to be a sticking point in final budget negotiations with the House and Gov. Mike Easley for the new fiscal year starting July 1, the Senate plan lets expire two "temporary" taxes first agreed to in 2001, but extended twice since. A portion was removed last year.
The House's two-year budget approved earlier this month keeps a quarter-penny on the sales tax and a higher income tax bracket for the state's top wage-earners for another two years. Those moves add about $300 million to the government coffers next year to pay for education and health care needs. Easley's budget proposal also retained the taxes.
"We want those to sunset," said Sen. Kay Hagan, D-Guilford, one of the Senate's chief budget-writers.

On June 4, the Greensboro News & Record quoted Hagan on the taxes: "It's time for them to go."

The final budget negotiated by House and Senate leaders and the governor allowed the temporary tax on higher income earners to expire at the end of the year, but made half of the sales tax increase permanent.

Hagan voted for the final budget.

Clark: Score one for McCrory

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:00:03 -0400

Doug Clark says Pat McCrory won the debate.

"Counting opening and closing statements and answers to a dozen questions, I thought he won 6 rounds, Beverly Perdue won 2 and 6 were even," writes the Greensboro News & Record columnist on his blog.

He said McCrory did best on the question of open government and crime, but also did well making his case of the problems caused by gangs, poor roads, the broken mental health system and corruption.

Clark writes that Perdue did better than expected on the question of the gas tax and capital punishment.

"Overall, however, McCrory handled himself very well and effectively took advantage of opportunities to rebut Perdue," he writes. "She tried to hit him with haymakers about his support for school vouchers and opposition to the lottery but didn't connect for lack of time to elaborate."

Claims Dept: NRSC on Hagan's budgets

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:38:56 -0400

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, a GOP group that runs independent ads in Senate races, has put out a Web video attacking state Sen. Kay Hagan's record on bipartisanship and the state budget.

What it says: Hagan is shown in a grainy video from a recent debate: "I know how to work across party lines. I've chaired the state budget for the last five years. … I've gotten those results here in North Carolina by working across party lines, by ending the partisan bickering."

As ominous music plays, the screen shows a quote from a Greensboro News & Record column: "Hagan's pitch for bipartisanship in Washington also fell flat. Her timing was bad because state Senate Democrats had just denied Republicans the chance to debate their budget on the floor."

Hagan is quoted again: "I've chaired the state budget for the last five years. … We've got to elect people who are willing to work across party lines to end the partisan bickering to get things done in this country."

The screen then shows a line from a recent News & Observer article: "Year after year, leaders in the Democrat-controlled state Senate use the rules to close off debate and limit budget amendments." Then Hagan: "You only need to look at the kind of state senator I’ve been for the last 10 years to see what kind of U.S. senator I'll be." The screen: "You can say that again."

The background: Hagan co-chaired the state Senate Appropriations committee from 2003 to 2007 and served in an advisory role for the 2008 budget. Throughout that time, Democrats controlled the Senate.

In recent years, the Senate has spent far less time debating the budget and considered far fewer amendments than the House. Senate Republicans complain that Democratic leaders often cut off debate before they have had time to speak or put forward all their proposed changes.

Democrats defend the process, saying it protects them from amendments meant to force a controversial vote that can be used against them in election season.

This year, the Senate debated the budget for less than an hour, considering only one GOP-sponsored amendment. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand then moved to end debate before Republicans could speak.

The measure passed along party lines, with Hagan voting to end debate.

"Republicans had virtually no chance to amend the bill or speak to its merits on the floor, with the exception of a measure that would study the effectiveness of state-funded pre-kindergarten programs," wrote the Greensboro News & Record.

Hagan's campaign said that Republicans had the opportunity to amend the budget in committee meetings. They also noted that she has frequently cosponsored bills with Republicans and said she has stood up to Democratic leaders on some issues.

Is the ad accurate? Yes.

How the Senate cut off debate in '08

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:21:38 -0400

Senate Republicans did not have a chance to speak about the budget on the floor this year.

With a Web ad attacking Democratic Senate nominee Kay Hagan's record, Dome is taking a closer look at her record of bipartisanship as budget co-chair.

The ad highlights this year's state budget process, when Hagan served an advisory role. For the previous five years, Hagan was a co-chair of the Senate Appropriations committee.

Here's what happened this year: The House sent a budget bill to the Senate on June 5. It was amended in Appropriations and passed two other committees before heading to the Senate floor on June 18.

On the floor, eight amendments were offered by Hagan and three other Democrats and by Republican Sens. Jerry Tillman, Phil Berger, Harry Brown and Bob Rucho. Tillman and Brown's amendments were tabled, Berger's ruled out of order and Rucho's came to a vote, where it passed.

After 38 minutes, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand then made a motion to end debate. It passed 30-18 along party lines, with Hagan voting for it.

For comparison's sake, debate on the budget took 4 hours and 36 minutes over two days in the House.

More after the jump.

NRSC targets Hagan online

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:46:16 -0400

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is stepping up its efforts online.

On Tuesday, the national group unveiled a Web video attacking Democratic Senate nominee Kay Hagan's record as a state legislator.

Entitled "Hagan Contradicted," the video begins with Hagan saying at a recent debate that she would push for more bipartisanship in Washington, D.C.

It then cites a June 25 column by Doug Clark in the Greensboro News & Record and a June 19 article in The N&O which noted Senate Democrats have cut off debate on the budget and limiting budget amendments.

"You only need to look at the kind of state senator I've been for the last 10 years to see what kind of U.S. senator I'll be," the ad quotes Hagan saying, before the narrator adds: "You can say that again."

The ad ends with a brief push of SayNaytoKay.com, an anti-Hagan Web site registered on March 10.

For now, the ad features nothing beyond a home page which briefly criticizes Hagan's record on taxes, spending and debt as a legislator.

Previously: NRSC runs anti-Hagan Google Ad.