The state’s budget for the next two years has been in the process of more changes than a star-studded Broadway play. The House and the Senate have been working to add safety measures for the state’s most vulnerable, subtract, taking away those safety measures for the state’s most vulnerable and cutting, cutting, cutting funding to groups and organizations whose very existence is to assist those in need of their services. Or just voting to do away with some of those organizations altogether. Let’s re-cap . . .
In 2011 a law was passed to improve the financial obligations of the state’s retirement system, affecting the pensions of roughly 1,500 firefighters and police officers. The current governor’s proposal for the next decade is to spend $27.5 million a year to benefit those who were affected. This funding was to come from legalizing video slot machines at the state’s charity casinos. During recent negotiations between House and Senate members an amendment was introduced with a cap of $120,000 per year. The majority party claimed their spending plan was practical due to current financial realities. The governor lamented, “The 11th-hour backroom deal fails to deliver on the promise that we made to all of New Hampshire.”
We’ll see. I can think of another promise the majority party failed to deliver on.
The re-worked budget restores the Office of Child Advocate, which had been eliminated by the Republican majority in the House. The Senate proposal funds the office at $1.6 million, while cutting staff. Hard to advocate for abused, vulnerable kids when understaffed . . .
The Dept. of Corrections was targeted earlier this year by the Republican House majority, but now the new proposal will restore more than 100 jobs. Unfortunately, that department now needs to find, somewhere, savings to the tune of $10 million.
If you have or know someone with developmental disabilities, the heartless majority party could care less. On June 18th an amendment to the budget was proposed to cut $18.8 million to developmental disabilities services. Someone must have come to their senses(?), had a change of heart(?) or realized overnight how ugly of a look this is, as the funding was put back the next day.
Naturally, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) continue to take hits from the majority party. The budget keeps provisions prohibiting DEI in all public schools and state-funded colleges and universities.
And the best news of all? The Republicans beloved school voucher program, destined to obliterate the public school system, is saved! They will allow for the enrollment of 10,000 students as there is now no cap on their family income. Siblings of current voucher students will gain automatic enrollment, again, in spite of the 10,000 student limit. But the majority party seems to have thrown the state a bone. Their budget proposals keep the current education grants for school districts at $4,351 per pupil, throwing in additional funding for children who are eligible for free and reduced-cost meals and special education services.
Such unheard of generosity brings tears . . .
Democrat Rep. Mary Jane Wallner's comment, "I won't be able to sign the committee of Conference report. The budget agreement contains many policies that I cannot support. For instance, charging premiums and copays to our poorest citizens for health care while expanding the Education Freedom accounts for high income families, significant changes to the staffing and authority of the Child Advocacy Office and removes protections from NH children and inadequate funds for our largest and most diverse school district. And the last minute, disappointing deal for our Group 2 employees are reasons why I cannot vote for the Committee of Conference report and I do ask to be removed."
And a statement from the governor, “If this budget were to come to me now, I couldn’t support it and would have to veto it.”
June 26th is going to be an interesting Session Day.
