The Perdue campaign had uncovered this vote during its background research, a vote from 21 years ago that Perdue doesn’t recall but clearly is a mis-vote – particularly in light of numerous other votes cast that very same year including:

• H39 – A vote to make the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday a paid holiday for state employees
• H226 – The landmark Civil Rights Act prohibiting any person from interfering with another person’s civil rights
• H589 – A bill regarding redrawn court districts to allow more black judges

Bev Perdue’s strong civil rights record has earned her endorsements from dozens of civil rights leaders such as Eva Clayton, Harvey Gantt, G.K. Butterfield, Alma Adams, and 25 out of 27 members of the Legislative Black Caucus.

Click here to read more about Bev Perdue’s civil rights record.

Bev Perdue has a solid record of supporting common-sense gun safety measures:

•    In 1993 Bev voted in favor of the exact legislation that Moore cites in his ad, to keep guns off of school property and limit access to firearms by minors as recommended by Governor Hunt's Task Force on School Violence.  Bev did amend a safe storage provision that had been added to the legislation - a provision that was very controversial in the Senate and endangered passage of Gov Hunt's legislation.  Her action allowed Gov. Hunt's legislation to keep going forward in the Senate.  She voted against elimination of a safe storage provision on the Senate floor and voted for final passage of the bill - including a safe storage provision.

•    That same year she voted to make it a crime to sell handguns to minors or for a minor to possess or carry a handgun. (1993-1994 Session, Senate Bill 793)

•    Then in 1997 she co-sponsored the Safe Schools Act that strengthened state law to make schools safer by combating drugs, violence and weapons. (1997-1998 Session, Senate Bill 4, Senate Bill 352)

•    Voted to require a one-year suspension of any student possessing a gun or explosive on educational property or at a school-sponsored activity. (1999-2000 Session, House Bill 1154)

Bev Perdue is a strong pro-choice candidate:

•    Bev Perdue is the one candidate in this race speaking out on behalf of a woman's reproductive rights and defending Roe v. Wade.  Bev has made clear that she will veto any legislation that is inconsistent with Roe.

•    In this campaign, Bev's strong pro-choice stance has earned her the endorsement of such national pro-choice organizations as EMILY'S List, the National Women's Political Caucus, NOW and the Women's Campaign Forum. 

•    In 1993, Bev co-sponsored a strong clinic access bill - the only one of its kind in the south. (1993-1994 Session, Senate Bill 873)

•    She co-sponsored legislation requiring insurance companies to provide coverage of contraception. (1999-2000 Session, Senate Bill 90)

•    She also served as a spokesperson for North Carolina affiliates of Planned Parenthood and NARAL's joint GOTV campaign in 2006.

Richard Moore's untrue personal character assassination represents the same old politics as usual that voters are fed up with.  That's why Bev Perdue's positive campaign, focused on the real issues, is gaining overwhelming support throughout North Carolina.

• As our next governor, Bev Perdue will make community college and our public universities affordable through generous scholarships for students whose family cannot afford to send them to college and community college tuition free for all high school graduates.

• Tuition rates at North Carolina’s public universities are among the lowest in the nation – literally one of America’s best bargains.

Bev Perdue’s Record on Making College Affordable

As Senate budget Chair, Bev was a champion for ensuring that any student who wants to attend college can afford it. In 2000, she helped start the UNC Need-Based Student Financial Aid Program. That program has now grown to provide $252.5 million in grant assistance to students attending our public universities. Today, the program funds scholarships for around 50,000 students each year.

In 2005, Bev cast the tie-breaking vote to create a state lottery for education. This year, lottery proceeds will provide an additional $38 million to students needing financial assistance to attend college. That translates to approximately 30,000 scholarships.

During Bev’s service as a legislator, which included six years as Senate Appropriations Committee co-chair, she helped increased funding for higher education in North Carolina by $1.1 billion, helping to ensure that students’ tuition costs stayed low.

Bev Perdue’s “College Promise” as Governor

As Governor, Bev Perdue will make it possible for students whose families cannot afford the cost of higher education to graduate debt-free. Her “College Promise” plan will expand the state’s EARN scholarship program to cover a full four years at our state’s universities. In addition she will expand access to EARN scholarships for high school graduates attending community college. Her plan will make 80% of high school graduates who continue their education at a community college eligible for a $4,000 annual grant for two years to cover, tuition, books and other expenses. Additionally, she will make community college tuition free for all students who go on to community college after graduating high school.

North Carolina’s Tuition Rates a “best value”

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine recently labeled six of North Carolina’s public universities as among the “best values” in the nation. In fact, for public universities in 2008, Kiplinger’s rates UNC-Chapel Hill as the nation’s number one best value.

On the issue of making college affordable, Bev Perdue has the facts on her side.

Richard Moore’s misleading negative campaign continues, in which facts and figures are twisted to attempt to destroy Bev Perdue’s reputation – this time with an attack on Bev Perdue over taxes. 

The ad tries to create the overall impression that Bev Perdue “does not pay her taxes” and cannot be trusted. 

Let’s be clear, Bev Perdue has always paid her personal taxes, and there is no dispute about that whatsoever.

The ad focuses instead on a business, Quail Woods, that Bev Perdue is a part owner.  The business bought a tract of land in Craven County to divide into lots to sell to people for home-building.  The business was late in paying some of its property taxes, but because the large tract of land was subdivided into more than 80 smaller lots each had its own tax bill.  

The taxes, themselves, were paid, of course.  How significant were the late payments?  On average, the business paid late fees of around $20 per lot.  All together, the fees totaled approximately $2,000.

The reference to the suspension of a business license is also an exaggeration.  The business incurred a small franchise tax liability of $210 in 1996.  The business had no income that year, and did not file a tax return.  It was not notified of a problem until 2004, and the balance was paid shortly thereafter. 

Moore’s ad claims that Perdue “has been investigated for corruption by the SBI” and she “was forced to return thousands in illegal donations.” But neither Bev Perdue nor Jim Hunt were involved with or aware of the fact that the contributions were improper, as confirmed by the District Attorney Tom Keith in the very same article cited by Moore’s ad:

“I understand that neither you, nor anyone on your staff, knowingly received these illegal campaign contributions,” (New Bern Sun Journal 5/7/99).