Fact-Checkers Confirm Cunningham Raised Taxes By $1 Billion

August 13th, 2020

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Last night, WRAL Politifact confirmed that Cal Cunningham voted for a budget that raised taxes by $1 billion when he was in the state Senate. The development comes after an interview Cunningham did with WLOS-Asheville this week where he doubled down on his broken no-tax-increase pledge and said he was “proud” of his vote to raise taxes in the middle of the 2001 recession. Here are a few key points from WRAL Politifact:

• “That year, North Carolina’s legislature and Gov. Mike Easley approved a state budget that raised taxes and fees to generate $1 billion over two years, according to clips from the Charlotte Observer and News & Observer.”
• “At the time, North Carolina was the only state to raise personal income tax rates, a budget analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures told the News & Observer for a Sept. 22, 2001 article.”
• “In an Aug. 10 interview with WLOS, Cunningham said ‘I think that was the right budget for North Carolina.’”
• “Cunningham did support a state budget that raised taxes and fees to generate $1 billion in new revenues.”
• “The statement is accurate. We rate it True.”

Cal Cunningham’s solution to tough economic times was raising taxes and crippling the economic recovery effort. North Carolinians have every reason to believe he will do the same thing this time around if he is elected to the Senate. 

You can watch the entire fact check HERE and read it HERE.