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RALEIGH (AP) — Former first lady Mary Easley's ability to do her job at North Carolina State University could be crippled as a House budget subcommittee agreed narrowly Thursday to end state funding for a speakers series she runs.

The education subcommittee voted 7-6 to prevent the school from spending state funds for the Millennium Series project through mid-2011. N.C. State was expected to spend about $105,000 on the program this fiscal year.

The decision wouldn't eliminate Easley's position at the school — she's still under contract to receive $170,000 to run the series, among other duties, including a public safety leadership center.

The center hasn't received state funds yet and also couldn't receive any money in the amendment offered by Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke.

The amendment, if it becomes part of the final budget bill signed into law by Gov. Beverly Perdue, would make it harder for her to bring top-notch speakers to the state's largest university.

Her ability already may be harmed by the fact that N.C. State chancellor James Oblinger and University of North Carolina system President Erskine Bowles have asked her to resign from the school after questions were raised about how she was hired in 2005. A federal grand jury also has asked for her personnel records.

Easley has said she will not step down even though the university's provost and the chairman of the board of trustees have resigned amid scrutiny of her hiring.

The money not spent toward the Millennium Series would be transferred to programs at three community college campuses that served hearing impaired students.

During these difficult economic times, the state would be better served by helping these students rather than an optional speaker's series, Blackwell said.

"This seemed to me like money that was being less well-spent than it would be spent on helping those that are hearing impaired or deaf," Blackwell said.

But some subcommittee members said they didn't want to micromanage UNC campuses and wondered why N.C. State's series should be singled out when other schools have similar programs.

"Without any data to educate us whether it was poorly done, poorly executed, inefficient or disproportionate, I'm having real difficulty figuring out what my rationale is for pulling" N.C. State's series, said Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, one of the subcommittee's co-chairman.

But two other budget leaders — Democratic Reps. Ray Rapp of Madison County and Marian McLawhorn of Pitt County — joined Republicans on the committee to support shifting the money.

Marvin Schiller, an attorney for Mary Easley, didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Initially, N.C. State hired Easley, the wife of former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, to run the seminar series, and she got new duties and a larger salary last year.

Last summer, after a review of her salary increase, UNC system leaders announced that one-third of Easley's salary would have to come from donated private funds.

For this fiscal year, the Millennium Series, which brought in speakers such as former President Bill Clinton and ex-U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, received $104,815 in appropriated money from the state, according to a budget released by N.C. State.

Easley received about $55,000 of her salary from funds not appropriated by the state, the university budget said.

N.C. State spokesman Keith Nichols said the university had initially planned to use state funds for the Millennium series until the program was able to sustain itself.

He expressed concern about the viability of the series, adding that N.C. State administrators also are looking at additional spending cuts.

"Now you have to question if it follows that there will not be state funding at all for Millennium seminars, you obviously have fewer options in terms of continuing Millennium seminars," Nichols said.

Associated Press writer Mike Baker contributed to this report.