The state constitution requires a balanced budget.
A recent TV ad for Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan touts that she "balanced five state budgets in a row" as a state senator.
As a cochairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hagan helped draft and pass state budgets between 2003 and 2007 and served an advisory role in 2008.
But Article III, Section 5(3) of the constitution of 1971 mandates a balanced budget:
The total expenditures of the State for the fiscal period covered by the budget shall not exceed the total of receipts during that fiscal period and the surplus remaining in the State Treasury at the beginning of the period.
Hagan spokesman Dave Hoffman said that it is difficult to balance the budget nonetheless.
"She's making tough choices while trying to meet all those needs and balance the budget," he said.
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Re: Constitution requires balanced budget
I noticed this in the ad as well. This is such a classless thing to put on your qualifications. Basically she is caliming responsibility for do something for 5 yrs that the law requires the legislature to do. Way to get off on the right foot in conveying trust and integrity to the voters.