One may be the loneliest number, but two is the most contentious, at least in the North Carolina capital this summer. That’s the percentage difference between Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s general fund budget for the next two fiscal years and Republican lawmakers’ final version, which became law Wednesday after the GOP and five Democratic converts successfully overrode the governor’s veto.

The variation — about $200 million in extra spending out of a $19.7 billion budget in the coming year and $400 million of a $20.4 billion plan in the final year of the cycle — might seem small. Not to Perdue, who uncapped her veto pen Sunday for the first time in state history to strike down the spending plan.

The reason: the GOP approach would do “generational damage,” “overlook” and “leave behind” pre-school children, target the “environment and quality of life,” and tear “at the very fibers that have made this state strong,” Perdue said.

Republicans, in charge of the legislature for the first time since Reconstruction, disagreed. With the help of five Democratic defectors, House Republicans took a witching-hour vote Wednesday morning to override the veto, 73-46. The Senate followed suit later that day with a 31-19 party line vote.

“People can now take the certainty that’s provided in this budget and move forward,” said House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg.

The main difference between the two spending plans boils down to priorities. Perdue’s proposed budget devoted more funds for public education and environmental regulatory agencies than Republicans did, and she relied on extension of most of a “temporary” 1-cent sales tax to do it.

On the other hand, the GOP let the tax increase expire and modestly trimmed spending in other areas. Perdue’s proposal spent 1.4 percent more on public schools, while Republicans cut 12 percent from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, twice the level Perdue recommended.

“I believe they chose to risk our children’s’ future and our state’s brand around the country and the world for less than a penny,” Perdue said.

Berger has said the no-taxes move is about keeping promises. “I’ve said it this way: We intend to keep the promise the Democrats made two years ago when they said that they were temporary taxes,” he said.

Getting to five

The Republican caucus has 68 members in the 120-seat House. They needed four Democratic votes to achieve a three-fifths majority needed to overcome a veto. The GOP ended up getting five.

“Courageous” was the term Tillis used to describe the converts. “They know this is a good budget,” the speaker said. “They know this is the right thing for North Carolina. I’m very proud. They’re all men of honor and their word, and I’m proud to serve with them.”

The five Democrats — Reps. William Brisson of Bladen County, James Crawford of Granville County, Dewey Hill of Columbus County, Bill Owens of Pasquotank County, and Timothy Spear of Washington County — hail from the eastern part of the state.

Owens has said he won’t run for re-election in 2012. Crawford’s support for the budget already has led to the announcement of a primary challenger for next year — former NAACP Executive Director Benjamin Chavis.

“We thought [the budget] was the best we could do,” Hill told reporters after the House vote. “It was a good budget, and I can go to sleep tonight on it.”

The deal wasn’t without cost. Republicans added a range of “sweeteners” to convince the five Democrats to jump on board. Crawford secured funding for the Butner Public Safety Division. Owens and Spear staved off attempts to make the ferry routes to Knotts Island and Ocracoke Island tolled, and saved funding for the mid-Currituck bridge.

As another reward, the friendly Democrats could get redistricting help from Republicans. Each of the five districts in question either are strongly Democratic or lean Democratic. Even so, four of the Democrats won their last re-election outing by less than 55 percent, meaning the races were competitive.

Not everyone happy

While limited-government advocates have praised the budget, some second-tier provisions raised their ire.

Early versions of the budget dramatically redirected revenue from the Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco companies, closing the Tobacco Trust Fund and Health and Wellness Trust Fund and snagging the Golden LEAF Foundation’s $68-million appropriation. Conservatives have criticized the three entities as boondoggles.

The final compromise took a much tamer approach by leaving Golden LEAF mostly untouched.

The budget also sends a one-time appropriation of $500,000 to Johnson & Wales University, a culinary school in Charlotte that received millions in taxpayer dollars due to a personal promise from former House Speaker Jim Black.

Brian Balfour, a fiscal policy analyst for the conservative Civitas Institute, called the extra spending “missed opportunities.” He said they include subsidies to the North Carolina Symphony, aquariums, and local arts programs.

“For all their talk of ‘right-sizing’ state government, this budget made little attempt to actually eliminate lower-priority programs,” Balfour said.

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.