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The State Stories
October 30, 2018
A Colorado group campaigning to limit charges for what they call payday loans claims that "current law allows payday lenders to charge more than 200% interest for small loans targeted at customers who are often in dire straits." Does Colorado law allow payday lenders to charge more than 200% interest for small loans?
August 2, 2018
In a radio ad about ballot initiative petitions, El Paso County Commissioner Mark Waller said that the information of petition signers goes into a public database accessible on the internet. Is Waller's claim correct?
May 10, 2018
Cary Kennedy, a candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for governor of Colorado in the 2018 election, has made raising teacher pay a key component of her education platform. She claims that despite having one of the top-ranked economies in the country, Colorado teachers’ salaries are “among the lowest in the country." Is Kennedy's claim accurate?
December 7, 2017
Michigan Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Saginaw Township, proposed a resolution to dissolve Michigan’s Board of Education, saying Michigan’s academic standing has “fallen precipitously” in national rankings over the past decade, and the board has failed to keep students from lagging “farther and farther behind.” Is Rep. Kelly correct that Michigan’s academic standing has fallen precipitously in national rankings during the past decade?
November 29, 2017
In a campaign video, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King characterized Florida as being "at the back of the pack" in major economic indicators, but Gov. Rick Scott and members of his administration said the state has flourished under his tenure. Who is correct about Florida's economy?
November 21, 2017
In a column about Connecticut’s budget woes, Matt Walter, executive director of the State Government Leadership Foundation, claimed that Connecticut state employees "earn 42 percent more on average than the average private-sector worker in the state — the highest disparity in the country." Is Walter correct?
November 14, 2017
Tony Evers, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, was recently the University of Wisconsin Board of Regent's lone vote against a new policy on freedom of expression. Evers claimed that the policy "gives the university the means to expel a student for participating in any sort of protest," and "does not even provide a definition for the word 'disrupt.'" Is Evers correct?
November 2, 2017
The City of Hartford, Connecticut, is facing a $49.6 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2018. Regarding this shortfall, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin claimed: "[T]he much bigger reason for Hartford’s budget crisis is this: … More than half of our property is non-taxable." In response, Journal Inquirer managing editor Chris Powell wrote, "The mayor argues that the city is hobbled financially because half its land is occupied by government or nonprofit institutions and thus exempt from city property taxes. But state government already compensates for that by reimbursing half the city's budget." Are Mayor Bronin and Powell correct?
November 1, 2017
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) recently signed House Bill 40 (HB 40), which authorized public funding of abortion through Medicaid and state employee health insurance. In response, state Sen. Dan McConchie (R) claimed that Rauner had made a "public commitment...to veto this bill,” adding, “His flip-flopping on this issue raises serious questions on whether the Governor's word can be trusted on other matters." Did Gov. Rauner make a public commitment to veto HB 40?
October 31, 2017
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Rep. Evan Jenkins are running in the Republican primary for the chance to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the 2018 election. Morrisey's campaign claimed in a press release that Jenkins has a "liberal record of supporting Hillary Clinton and voting for cap-and-trade."
October 30, 2017
New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Phil Murphy (D) and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R) addressed the state’s economy in a recent debate. Guadagno claimed, "There are more people working here on average than ever in the history of the state of New Jersey." Murphy claimed that "the labor market participation is at a 10-year low," and "we have fewer small businesses in New Jersey than the day that [Guadagno] and Governor Christie took over leadership in the state." Are the candidates’ competing claims about the economy accurate?
October 27, 2017
At a recent debate between Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Ralph Northam (D) asked Ed Gillespie (R), "Do you support universal background checks in the Commonwealth of Virginia?" Gillespie prefaced his response by stating, "As you know, there are universal background checks." Is that correct? Has Virginia enacted universal background checks for firearms purchases?
October 26, 2017
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker last month signed legislation authorizing a $2.85 billion incentive package to encourage Foxconn to locate facilities in the state. Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, characterized the package as “a total environmental giveaway by the state of Wisconsin." In contrast, Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, asserted that “no changes have been made to air, water and waste-related standards.” Is Harsdorf correct?
October 19, 2017
A report funded by Ohio Taxpayers for Lower Drug Prices, which supports the state's ballot measure Issue 2, claims that it is "unclear" how many VA drug prices are not public, but "it does not seem to be many." How many VA drug prices are not publicly available?
October 18, 2017
Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Issue, a political action committee (PAC) opposed to the Ohio Issue 2 initiative, claims, "Issue 2 is being promoted by a billion-dollar California-based nonprofit, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), that gets nearly 80% of its revenue from selling prescription drugs." Does the AHF receive nearly 80 percent of its revenue from selling prescription drugs? And is the AHF the main funder of support for Issue 2?
October 11, 2017
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins are running in the Republican primary for the chance to challenge Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in 2018. The Jenkins campaign released an ad on July 31 claiming: “For months, Patrick Morrisey was #NeverTrump...and now he's lying about it.” The ad also claims that Morrisey “refused to endorse the presumptive GOP nominee” for 70 days after Trump won the West Virginia Republican primary on May 10, 2016.
October 4, 2017
On November 7, Ohio voters will decide on an initiative to require the state to purchase prescription drugs at prices no higher than what is paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. According to Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Issue, a PAC opposed to the initiative, Issue 2 includes "an unprecedented provision to give themselves [the promoters of Issue 2] the right to intervene at taxpayer expense in any legal challenges that may be filed against it if it becomes law. This provision would give the sponsors a blank check to defend any part of the law, and require that their legal fees be reimbursed by taxpayers whether they win or lose." Does Issue 2 grant promoters the right to intervene in any legal challenge at taxpayer expense?
September 28, 2017
West Virginians will vote on October 7 whether to authorize sales of up to $1.6 billion in general obligation bonds to fund highway, road, and bridge construction and improvements. Gov. Jim Justice claims that the measure "is not going to raise your taxes at all—ZERO." Is Justice correct?
September 27, 2017
Louis Malfaro, president of the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers, wrote an op-ed calling upon the legislature and governor to increase state funding for public schools, claiming, "Since the early 2000s, funding for public education in Texas, adjusted for inflation, has been flat. Texas remains near the bottom of state rankings (36th nationwide) in classroom spending, more than $2,300 less per pupil than the national average." Is Malfaro correct that funding for public education in Texas has been flat since the early 2000s? Does the state rank 36th nationwide in per-pupil spending?
September 22, 2017
Following the August 12 protest in Charlottesville, Va., where demonstrators were struck by a car and one was killed, reporter Kira Lerner wrote in ThinkProgress that "[s]tate lawmakers in at least six GOP-controlled states have pushed for laws this year that would shield drivers who hit protesters." Is Lerner correct?
September 21, 2017
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has repeatedly vetoed $7.5 million in annual state funding for family planning services since 2010. According to Politico, groups such as Planned Parenthood claim the cut has led to a rise in sexually transmitted disease rates. But Christie and State Health Commissioner Cathleen Bennett say there is no such correlation. Did the cut to family planning grants lead to increases in New Jersey’s rates of STDs?
September 12, 2017
Control of the Washington State Senate is at stake in the November 7 special election. Democrat Manka Dhingra and Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund will face off in the 45th District, which saw highly competitive Senate races in 2014 and 2010. An online ad by Working Families PAC claims, "Dhingra wants to pick our pocket with a new income tax." Does Dhingra support a state income tax?
August 29, 2017
Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, has faced criticism for not opposing construction of natural gas pipelines in the state. Referring to the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) during a recent debate, Northam said, "At the end of the day...FERC will make that final decision." Is he correct?
August 15, 2017
Republican candidate Ed Gillespie claimed, "Too many Virginians are working part time who want to work full time. We hit a 10-year low in labor force participation rate last year...and since the lieutenant governor was first elected to the General Assembly 10 years ago, we have shed 69,000 manufacturing jobs. We're trading out high-paying jobs for low-paying jobs." Is Gillespie right about Virginia's economy?
August 9, 2017
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in June his intention to declare a state of emergency for New York City’s transit network following a series of power outages, derailments, and delays. He also called on New York City officials to spend more money on the subway system. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the system is “the state’s responsibility.” Is de Blasio correct?
July 24, 2017
Legislation to bar local governments from adopting sanctuary city laws that prohibit reporting an individual’s immigration status to federal authorities is pending in the Michigan Legislature. According to Rep. Terry Sabo (D-Muskegon), “What these bills [call for is] for local government to take on even more duties [than] what they already have and our police agencies are already strapped with our cuts in revenue sharing, they’ve been underfunded.” Would the legislation mean more duties for local governments?
July 14, 2017
The California Republican Party has launched a campaign to recall state Sen. Josh Newman (D) and has claimed that Sen. Newman "was the deciding vote in passing the recent $5.2 billion gas tax increase." A successful recall would end a Democratic supermajority in the state Senate. The claim that Newman was the deciding vote on SB 1 is false. He was one of 26 Democratic senators who voted in favor of SB 1.
June 26, 2017
Minnesota’s Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said a rising caseload is increasing the need for higher funding for the judicial system. The total number of cases filed in Minnesota's court system decreased 9 percent between calendar years 2012 and 2016. In the same period, the number of judges, across all courts, rose from 315 to 317 while the budget increased 15 percent. The state’s “judge need” for the District Courts totaled 315 in 2017 compared to 314.6 in 2013, while the actual number of District Court judges increased from 289 to 291.
Daily Caller article detailing criticisms of the review by the wind industry and others claimed that “Iowa gets nearly 40 percent of its electricity from wind turbines.” An estimated 36.6 percent of electricity in Iowa was generated using wind power in 2016.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry ordered a review of the impact of renewable energy policies on electric grid reliability. A
June 16, 2017
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has sought $215 million in state funding to close recent budget deficits. CPS chief executive Forrest Claypool claimed that the state provides $500 million less in funding than CPS' enrollment dictates. Chicago Public Schools received more state funding in FY 2016 than the median received by all other districts. Only when pension contributions are counted can CPS be said to have received less state funding than other districts.
June 12, 2017
Louisiana recently passed 10 bills to reduce criminal sentences, expand parole options, and provide alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders. State Senator Danny Martiny claimed, “We don’t have twice as many criminals as everybody else. We just have twice as many people in jail as everybody else.” Louisiana's incarceration rate of 779 inmates per 100,000 population is the highest nationwide—although not “twice as many ... as everybody else,” as Martiny claimed.
June 9, 2017
In opposition to proposed changes to Missouri’s Human Rights Act, Missouri Faith Voices said SB 43 would “allow individuals to discriminate, harass and even assault others based on categories long protected that include not only religions but also gender, ethnicity, physical ability, age and national origin.” If enacted, the legislation would remove individual liability from supervisors and managers in discrimination complaints and raise the standard of proof necessary to prevail in such cases. However, employees would still be able to sue employers for workplace discrimination, and supervisory personnel could still be criminally charged for harassment or assault.
May 31, 2017
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was pressed by Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson for his position on the American Health Care Act. Defending his record as governor, Walker said, "Everyone living in poverty for the first time in our state's history is now covered under Medicaid in the state of Wisconsin." Walker is correct that the state's BadgerCare Plus program covers all adults with incomes up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level and all children in households with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
May 30, 2017
During an April 13 debate between three Republican candidates in the Virginia gubernatorial primary, Corey Stewart criticized Ed Gillespie's tax plan, saying that it “doesn't cut a single nickel in spending.” Gillespie’s tax plan does not detail specific spending cuts, though it does list “cutting wasteful spending” among its proposals. However, a tax plan is distinct from a budget plan that would address both tax revenue and spending levels. Gillespie subsequently released a plan to improve government efficiency that included details on spending cuts.
May 15, 2017
Democrat Rob Quist and Republican Greg Gianforte are competing to fill Montana’s at-large House seat. Gianforte claimed that Quist has “advocated for a national gun registry." Gianforte referred to an interview in which Quist was quoted as stating, in response to an apparent question about assault rifles: “So maybe there should be some legislation to register those types of things. You register your car to drive, why not register guns.” Although the article indicated that Quist was referring to registration of assault rifles, Gianforte claimed Quist advocated for a “national gun registry.”
May 10, 2017
Texas State Representative Leighton Schubert (R-District 13) claimed that high-speed rail line developer Texas Central Partners was threatening to exercise eminent domain authority. Schubert is correct. Texas Central has repeatedly claimed authority to exercise the powers of eminent domain to forcibly obtain the private property needed for its proposed line.
May 5, 2017
California Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez's campaign website claims that under his bill, AB 908, "California will once again lead the nation in Paid Family Leave and ensure that the program works for all." When the bill takes effect in 2018, California law will provide the highest proportion of earnings as payments under the state’s paid family leave statute, and the state’s eligibility requirements will be the least restrictive. New York will offer a longer leave period.
May 1, 2017
Former Nebraska state Sen. Heath Mello, the Democratic candidate in Omaha’s mayoral race, was joined at a campaign rally by DNC Chair Keith Ellison, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb. In response, Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, characterized Mello as an “anti-choice candidate.” In the Nebraska Senate, Mello voted in favor of three bills that limited the conditions under which abortions are legally available, and in favor of three other bills that attached conditions on receiving abortion services.
April 24, 2017
Assemblyman Vince Fong claimed that California's general fund budget has grown by $36 billion since fiscal year 2012, and that none of the general fund has gone to transportation infrastructure. The general fund budget has grown $36 billion. Transportation infrastructure spending from the general fund fell from $83 million to zero between FY 2012 and 2017. However, general fund spending made up one percent of all transportation infrastructure spending in that period.
April 17, 2017
A Charlotte Observer editorial on repeal of North Carolina’s House Bill 2 law claimed that Gov. Roy Cooper discarded "his earlier promise not to accept any deal that left people vulnerable to discrimination." Evidence provided by The Charlotte Observer shows that Cooper promised to fight against discrimination and for repeal of HB 2 but not that he made promises about the nature of repeal legislation he would or would not sign. Throughout the gubernatorial campaign and during Cooper’s first months as governor, he promised to work to repeal HB 2. He also expressed support for a full repeal, and he opposed two proposals after his election. However, Cooper also expressed a willingness to compromise on repeal legislation since his election.
April 13, 2017
The Value in Electing Women political action committee claimed that Georgia’s former Secretary of State Karen Handel reduced the department’s budget by nearly 20%. The amount Handel requested for the department's 2011 budget was 19.9 percent less than the amount requested for the amended 2008 budget. There was a budget decrease of 19.8 percent between the amended FY 2008 budget and FY 2011 budget. Nearly 7 percent of the reduction resulted from across-the-board cuts.
March 31, 2017
In the election for Wisconsin superintendent of public instruction, Lowell Holtz claimed that incumbent Tony Evers failed to fix the achievement gaps in Milwaukee and Madison. Superintendents are not solely responsible for addressing educational achievement gaps. Gaps in test scores among black, Hispanic, and white students in Madison and Milwaukee widened between 2005 and 2014. The gap in four-year graduation rates between black and white students widened in Milwaukee between 2010 and 2015 and remained largely unchanged between Hispanic and white students. The gap in four-year graduation rates for both groups narrowed in Madison.
Press of Atlantic City editorial expressed opposition, claiming that "N.J. politicians already have put a nation-leading tax burden on residents and a nation-leading government pension debt on future generations." New Jersey had the highest property taxes per capita in FY 2014, while its individual income tax and general sales tax per capita ranked seventh and 16th, respectively. New Jersey also ranked fifth for unfunded pension liabilities per capita.
New Jersey Democrats introduced a bill to subsidize solar panel installations using electricity tax revenue. A
March 15, 2017
Maryland State Sen. Richard Madaleno is sponsoring bills to legalize the adult possession of small amounts of marijuana, and to regulate and tax its sale. “Colorado and Washington are bringing in hundreds of millions in revenue without any increase in crime,” Madaleno said. There is limited information on the impact of marijuana decriminalization in Colorado and Washington, but he is correct about revenue from the sale of marijuana.
March 13, 2017
Before submitting a proposed 2018-2019 budget, Ohio Gov. Kasich asked state departments to submit two funding plans: one at 100 percent funding, and one envisioning 10 percent cuts. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Public Defender Tim Young responded that his office has lost a third of its staff since 2000. Staff positions in the Public Defender's office decreased 27.5 percent between fiscal years 2000 and 2017.
March 13, 2017
North Carolina Rep. Rodney Moore (D-District 99) recently claimed, “Medical marijuana is something that the public has changed its mind on, even in North Carolina.” Polls do show North Carolinians’ support for the medical use of marijuana increasing, from 58 percent of respondents in 2013 to 74 percent in 2016. The results of national polls have varied, but a majority of respondents have consistently supported allowing doctors to recommend marijuana, and that support has increased over time.
March 8, 2017
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is proposing to cut the state's top income tax rate. Becky Gould, executive director of Nebraska Appleseed, questioned why the state should lower income taxes, saying, "Nebraska has been doing well in most economic indicators." In several respects, the state’s economic indicators are consistent with or outpace national trends. However, a slump in crop prices has negatively affected farm income in the agricultural state.
February 27, 2017
In a blog post prior to the introduction of a right-to-work bill in the Kentucky legislature, Anna Baumann of the nonprofit Kentucky Center for Economic Policy claimed that Kentucky was closer to regaining the manufacturing jobs lost during the recession than neighboring states with right-to-work laws were. Baumann is correct, but her calculations do not account for changes in the right-to-work status of the neighboring states between December 2007 and November 2016. Nor has she accounted for the variety of other factors that affect manufacturing employment.
February 24, 2017
Writing for The Intercept, Spencer Woodman claimed “Over the past few weeks, Republican legislators across the country have quietly introduced a number of proposals to criminalize and discourage peaceful protest.” Legislation introduced by Republican state lawmakers at the time of his writing would not criminalize any form of protest because the proposed changes relate to acts that are already prohibited by law. Only one measure that was introduced after Woodman’s piece would create a new crime related to an already illegal type of protest.
February 22, 2017
The February 25th election for Delaware's 10th District senate seat will determine which party will control the chamber. In a recent debate, Republican candidate John Marino criticized Democratic opponent Stephanie Hansen for changing her position on testing opt-out. Marino is incorrect. Hansen's campaign website did not address opt-out as claimed by Marino, but did mention support of legislation to limit standardized testing. The current version reflects Hansen's explicit support of opt-out.
February 17, 2017
Referring to President Trump’s executive order, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” Univision's Jorge Cancino claimed that it contains "a clause making it a crime to help an undocumented immigrant." However, executive orders are statements of policy and have no power to make law. The clause referenced by Cancino is a directive by Trump to the Secretary of Homeland Security to enforce existing immigration law, in this case the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
February 16, 2017
Sacramento Bee writer Jim Miller wrote that CalPERS' reduced investment return assumption means school districts will have to contribute more to employee pensions. This is true. CalPERS projects a 30 to 40 percent increase in participating employer unfunded liability payments as a result, though the increased contributions are necessary to fund benefits already earned by government workers.
February 15, 2017
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick recently told Syracuse Post-Standard that the introduction of ridesharing services in upstate New York “could have a dramatic impact on reducing drunk driving and the fatalities attendant to the problem.” The potential impacts of legalizing ridesharing services in upstate New York is a matter of speculation. Research on the impacts of ridesharing is limited, and results are mixed.
February 14, 2017
The New York City Council adopted an ordinance requiring shoppers to pay five cents for each plastic or paper bag provided by a store. New York City Councilman Brad Lander claimed the bag tax will induce shoppers to bring bags with them to the store and get rid of plastic grocery bags. Lander is partially correct. Studies have shown that banning or taxing plastic or paper bags increases shoppers use of reusable bags and decreases use of plastic bags, but does not end plastic bag use.
February 13, 2017
Endorsing legislation to prohibit holding electronic devices while driving in Washington state, a Union-Bulletin editorial said, “Distracted driving is out of control.” Collisions involving distracted driving increased by 46 percent between 2009 and 2015. Fatalities resulting from distracted driving collisions increased 6 percent during this period. However, fatalities involving an impaired driver consistently accounted for a higher proportion of fatal collisions.
February 8, 2017
During the January 23 opening session of the Utah House of Representatives, Speaker Greg Hughes said, “This state has a homelessness crisis amongst us.” But according to HUD estimates, Utah saw reductions in both its total homeless population (6.8 percent) and those defined as “chronically homeless” (72 percent), between 2007 and 2016. During that same period, the population of the state grew by 13 percent.
February 3, 2017
Stressing the need for a legislative solution to Oregon's projected budget deficit, state Sen. Mark Hass claimed: “We’re seriously underfunding education.” We found that: (1) Oregon's total education spending and education spending as a portion of all state spending has decreased since the FY 2005-2007 biennium. (2) Per-pupil spending increased between FY 2005 and FY 2014. (3) The proportion of revenues from federal and local sources expended for education decreased, and the proportion of state funds increased, between FY 2005 and FY 2014.
February 2, 2017
During a confirmation hearing for Jeff Sessions’ Attorney General appointment, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono referred to “the Supreme Court's decision that did away with major parts of the Voting Rights Act.” In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down section 4(b), which prescribes the formula for determining which states and political subdivisions are subject to federal preclearance for new voting laws under Section 5. The decision rendered Section 5 unenforceable until an updated formula is established, but it did not do away with Section 5.
January 31, 2017
The Rev. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, criticized state legislation that he claims “seeks to remove oversight of the General Assembly's actions from the North Carolina Supreme Court's purview.” Barber is incorrect. The North Carolina Supreme Court retains authority to hear cases involving the General Assembly. Recent legislation only eliminated the right of direct appeal to the state supreme court for certain trial court cases.
January 27, 2017
A Huffington Post article on North Carolina's legislative battles claimed that recently passed bills "drastically limit" the governor's administrative abilities. Although "drastically" is a subjective term, the new laws did limit the governor's authority to appoint department heads, personnel, and members of the State Ethics Commission and State Board of Elections.
January 26, 2017
In press release announcing his opposition to the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, claimed DeVos owed Ohio taxpayers $5 million. Brown is incorrect. He was referring to unpaid fines levied against a PAC, for which DeVos had served as a director. But Ohio law does not hold officers of a PAC personally liable for fines levied against the PAC.
December 28, 2016
Teachers in North Carolina claim state funding for classroom materials, including instructional supplies and equipment, has declined. Fact Check by Ballotpedia reviewed ten years of state public school budgets, and the teachers are correct.
December 23, 2016
In a Christian Science Monitor commentary, Ben Lilliston, director of climate strategies at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, noted the “rapidly rising costs to governments of dealing with climate-related events like Hurricane Matthew." But there has not been a tested determination of the storm's precise cause, and research is inconclusive about whether storms have increased in either number or severity due to climate change.
Daily Tar Heel that HB2 may have played a role in the increase in hate crimes against LGBT people in the statistics. But that isn't possible, since the report only covers incidents in 2015, and HB2 wasn't introduced until 2016. Also, the way the FBI compiles statistics prevents a credible comparison of reported hate crimes year over year.
Following the release of the FBI’s latest Hate Crime Statistics report, a spokesman for Equality N.C. told the
December 14, 2016
In response to Oklahoma voters' rejection of a state sales tax increase, Grove Public Schools Superintendent Sandy Coaly said "we don't want to be at the bottom of anything else, so why do we want to be at the bottom for education.” Is Coaly correct? In terms of per-pupil revenue and spending, Oklahoma is one of the bottom five states. But student performance ranks at or near the national average.
December 13, 2016
City leaders in Savannah, Georgia are seeking legislation to give cities greater power to obtain private properties that it considers blighted. The Georgia Municipal Association correctly claimed that current law requires local governments to wait 20 years before selling condemned properties to private entities.
November 8, 2016
Koster's opponent in the state's 2016 gubernatorial race, Eric Greitens, claims violent crime in Missouri increased by 12.6 percent in 2015, murders jumped by nearly 25 percent, and St. Louis is “the most dangerous city in the country.” The first two figures do not provide an accurate picture of the crime trends during Koster’s tenure as attorney general, and the ranking of St. Louis as “the most dangerous city” is subjective.
November 7, 2016
According to Gov. Pat McCrory, “Since 2013, North Carolina has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, unemployment is at an eight-year low and more than 300,000 jobs have been added.” That is not entirely correct. The state’s unemployment rate is at an eight-year low, but North Carolina’s real gross domestic product is not one of the fastest growing in the country. Between 2013 and 2016, total employment has increased by about 260,000 jobs.
November 7, 2016
His opponent, Chris Sununu, says Van Ostern "has been out promoting a $300 million train that would take 2,000 people a day to work into Boston." Van Ostern does support development of a commuter rail line between New Hampshire and Boston, but the cost of his plan is estimated to be $195.1 million plus a $38.7 million contingency fund, and projects weekday ridership of 3,120.
November 4, 2016
Newsom wrote there were "over 10 mass shootings" between October 15, 2015 and October 20, 2016. While there is no standard definition of "mass shooting," two of the private groups that do track "mass shootings" report 42 and 47 in the time period cited.
November 6, 2016
Montana has no state sales tax, and during a recent town hall-style teleconference, Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte said, “I don’t support a sales tax. You know, never have.” During his campaign, Gianforte has consistently opposed the introduction of a sales tax, but during testimony before a state government committee in 2002, Gianforte said he was in favor of creating a sales tax as part of a plan to lower tax rates on income and capital gains.
November 5, 2016
In a debate on September 7, 2016, Senator Ayotte claimed that Governor Hassan voted to support “sanctuary cities” while a state senator. Is Ayotte’s claim accurate? Yes. In 2008, then-state Senator Hassan voted against Senate Bill 353 (SB 353), which would have prohibited New Hampshire and its subdivisions from serving as a sanctuary for illegal aliens.
November 1, 2016
Has state spending increased by more than $800 million during Gov. Bullock’s time in office, as his 2016 opponent has claimed? Yes. General fund spending approved under the General Appropriations Act for Montana’s biennial budget has increased by $801.5 million under Gov. Bullock. However, this does not account for total state spending, and the governor does not unilaterally control the state budget process.
September 29, 2016
Does Tom Nelson have a record of “pushing big tax hikes and spending increases” on Wisconsin taxpayers? That was the claim made by Republican Governor Scott Walker in August 2016, who endorsed Nelson’s Republican opponent, Mike Gallagher, in the state’s 8th district race. Fact Check by Ballotpedia researched Nelson’s history on taxes and spending, and found Governor Walker’s claim to be accurate.
September 28, 2016
Governor Cuomo (D-NY) claimed that New York’s unemployment rate during his tenure had dropped in half, and the state had “[m]ore jobs than ever before in history." Based on data from the New York Department of Labor, the annual average unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent in 2011, when Cuomo took office, to 4.9 percent in August 2016—a difference of 41 percent, not 50 percent, as the governor claimed.
Times Union, Grade 29 members of the Public Employees Federation (PEF) did see a 48 percent salary increase between 1999 and 2016. A 2016 proposed salary increase for members of the New York Legislature, at 47 percent, does track that of the state employees specified by the Times Union.
As cited by the
August 4, 2016
No. Lottery funding for the form of direct aid controlled by municipalities and used for a range of public services has increased over time.
August 1, 2016
We took a look at the voting records and found that Schaefer was the only Republican Senator to vote against the bill but was one of three Republican State Legislators to oppose SB 749 in some form.
July 20, 2016
A June 28, 2016, New York Times article claims that students in "half the charters perform only as well, or worse than, Detroit's traditional public schools." Our research finds that claim to be misleading.
July 18, 2016
Projections by the Rhode Island House Fiscal Advisory Staff show that the state’s 2017 enacted budget would result in a $313.6 million deficit by 2021. On job loss, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training issued a release on June 16, which said that the state “lost a total of 3,900 jobs since March."
July 15, 2016
From 2005 to 2015, the overall homeless population in California decreased 38.5 percent (by 72,561). The state’s homelessness rate—the ratio of homeless population to the total population—fell by 43.7 percent.
July 12, 2016
We decided to take a closer look at Alaska Republican Party’s characterization of Beltrami as a "longtime union boss."
June 28, 2016
We determined the claim was true. According to our review of the data, tax revenue fell 56 times between fiscal 2011 and 2017, which totaled $338,337,750. Utah's tax revenue rose 26 times, during the same period, which totaled $984,487,817. The net increase is $646,150,067.
June 24, 2016
The RGA PAC’s comparison of the $2 billion surplus and $1 billion deficit leaves out important information. The claim juxtaposes an actual reserve "surplus" with a projected deficit. Instead of ending fiscal year 2002 with a $1.2 billion deficit, the state recorded a $534 million reserve balance.
June 23, 2016
Yes. State sources report that drug overdose deaths jumped from an average of about seven per day in 2014 to an average of nine per day in 2015. That's more than twice the number of lives lost to traffic accidents.
June 13, 2016
After examining Nanney's voting history we found that she missed 32 percent of votes between the beginning of the 121st session, on January 13, 2015, and March 30, 2016. Between January 1, 2016, and March 30, 2016, Nanney missed 52 percent of votes.
June 7, 2016
While some discretionary funded programs under DOD, Homeland Security and the VA would have been suspended, many would have continued. Additionally, other types of federal spending would have remained unaffected by the shutdown.
June 1, 2016
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is accused challenger Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio, of having cut funding for certain safety net programs in the 2010-2011 fiscal years. We determined that Portman's claim is only partially accurate.
May 31, 2016
Did Hayes vote to block DOT reform? Yes. At an April 28, 2015, Senate Finance Committee markup, Hayes voted to replace the text of a House bill that included DOT reform with the text of a Senate bill that did not. He also voted to move the revised legislation to the full Senate.
May 21, 2016
Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva claims the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report shows the city had “its lowest crime rate in the past 15 years” in 2014. He’s right, but only if you combine the totals for both property crimes and violent crimes, something the FBI doesn’t do. While property crime declined, violent crime in Stockton actually increased.
May 9, 2016
Jim Justice released an ad accusing his two opponents of wanting to raise taxes. We found that Kessler has said he wants to raise the taxes on cigarettes along with some other consumer taxes, while Goodwin has said he would not rule out raising taxes.
May 6, 2016
We examined Schwartz's legislative record, and found that she did in fact play an instrumental role in passing legislation intended to limit emissions from coal-fired power plants.
May 3, 2016
Sen. Ayotte has voted against refinancing student loans. However, her voting record on Pell Grants is much more complicated than Hassan's statement suggests.
May 2, 2016
Yes, the bill included exemptions for religious or religious affiliated organizations and nonprofit groups, as well as for small businesses with less than six employees.
April 20, 2016
We were unable to find any official data tracking how many families are still displaced three and a half years after Superstorm Sandy.
April 15, 2016
Although a definitive answer isn't possible, all the studies published during the last four decades support the contention that the death penalty is more expensive than life in prison.
April 11, 2016
We looked at Jim Justice's business activities and found that he did oversee companies that were sued over delinquent payments and back taxes.
April 8, 2016
No. Whether you define "middle class" in cultural or economic terms, half of American adults can be considered middle class.
April 7, 2016
We find that fracking does have an impact on property values; however, whether that effect is positive or negative depends on a variety of variables.
March 14, 2016
It is reasonable to conclude that Strickland played "a central role".
March 7, 2016
We examine the NRSC's claims on this topic and find that from 2009 to 2014 Masto, a 2016 Senatorial candidate, took, on average, six trips per year.
February 29, 2016
Depends how you look at it. Per-pupil spending has not kept up with inflation, although overall public school spending has outpaced inflation.
February 29, 2016
To answer this question, we examine Justice Lehrmann’s voting record, paying particular attention to the two cases Justice Massengale cites.
February 26, 2016
We found just the opposite. McNutt has actually called for increasing local control over education and reducing state involvement.
February 18, 2016
Based on our own analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, we found that while New Mexico is not, strictly speaking, at the bottom, it is in the bottom quintile.
February 17, 2016
Gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte claims, “Montana ranks 49th nationally in wages. And too many kids are leaving to find work elsewhere.” Is he right?
February 15, 2016
Indiana governor Mike Pence claims, "Indiana consistently ranks in the top 10 best states to do business.”
February 11, 2016
We examine Michigan state Representative Thomas Hooker's claim on this topic and find that there is more to the story than the numbers first suggest.
February 4, 2016
He did support Common Core in his first few years as governor. He reversed his position in 2015.
January 27, 2016
Pretty close. We counted 739 in total.
January 8, 2016
Kentucky State Rep. Jim Gooch claims the EPA admitted its Clean Power Plan will have "no measurable effects" on global carbon rates. Is he right?
January 7, 2016
A pro-Marco Rubio super PAC claims New Jersey's "tax burden" is the highest in the nation. True, but what does that mean?
January 5, 2016
Ohio lost more than 350,000 jobs under Strickland. But is the former governor to blame?
December 30, 2015
California, though the picture changes depending on how you measure the data.
December 3, 2015
The state lost more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs between 1994 and 2015, but NAFTA wasn't necessarily the cause.
November 20, 2015
Days before the general election, the focal point of he race shifts to Syria.
November 17, 2015
We look into four claims the candidates made about legislative salaries in a recent gubernatorial debate.
November 16, 2015
An ad by David Vitter's campaign claims Edwards supported taxpayer funded pensions for convicts. We say that statement is misleading.
November 13, 2015
Vitter's passed five bills into law in sixteen years. But how unique is that number?
November 6, 2015
Was Indiana "dead last" for voter turnout in 2014?
October 22, 2015
In short, yes. But the question is actually a bit more complicated than it might seem on the surface.
October 16, 2015
There are a lot of similarities, but also one key difference.
October 14, 2015
About $2 million for the signatures.
October 14, 2015
The cost of a Michigan judgeship is shared by many jurisdictions.
October 9, 2015
We look into the descriptions of a controversial ballot measure in Ohio.
October 9, 2015
Is Alaska's business climate ranked fourth in the nation?
October 2, 2015
Was John Kasich the only Republican candidate in the House to unseat a Democratic incumbent in the 1982 midterm elections?
