Yesterday, March 6th, the full House was in session again to vote on roughly 40 bills. One bill was HB 524, the bill to repeal the New Hampshire Vaccine Association. With a vote of 189 for and 181 against, a program where the state purchases vaccines for children, then provides them to doctors free of charge, might go bye-bye. (The bill now goes to the Ways and Means Committee, so we’ll see.) Federal funds and payments come from insurers and are estimated to annually be about $24 million. Doctors are then able to vaccinate pediatric patients (insured and uninsured) for free. That’s what the Association does, collect money and fund children’s vaccinations. According to the state’s health department, costs would rise if the program were repealed. Additionally, the state would have to spend an estimated extra $100,000 a year to purchase vaccines for disaster relief efforts and any outbreaks. The Republicans actually think they are saving taxpayers money. Who wants to tell them. . .?
A bill that got “killed” (Inexpedient to Legislate) yesterday was HB 770. This piece of legislation was sponsored by Reps. Kris Schultz, D-Concord, Hope Damon, D-Croyden and Stephen Woodcock, D-Center Conway. This bill was meant to establish a program in the Dept. of Education for eligible students to earn tuition credits at state higher education institutions through community service. Wow! Helping students and communities! Win, win!
Nah! Republicans “killed” it.
Here’s another one meant for child safety that was “killed” yesterday. HB 756 was legislation sponsored by eight Democrats and its purpose was to establish a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering daycare and public schools. Reasonable request you might think, considering lead poisoning is on the rise in NH’s children or that some kids aren’t tested at all. Not according to Republicans who spoke against it. Babies are tested at the ages of one and two and that is more than enough. Besides, think of the extra added paperwork for the daycare or school system! The vote was 202 in favor of ITL with 169 against.
This next one should resonate well with property owners who can’t wait for their taxes to go even higher. HB 771 will change how funding for open enrollment schools is sent and received. It will require school districts to establish a line item in their operating budgets that reflects expenditures for open enrollment tuition costs. This will add an unfunded mandate to taxpayers and public schools. This legislation, which passed with 205 votes for and 169 against, was sponsored by members of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and one Liberty Alliance member.
Wake up, NH voters! “Liberty” members in the legislature are NOT looking out for your best interests.