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Budget

This section contains a selection of budget votes, please see other sections - particularly "Children and Families" and "Public Safety" for more budget-related votes. A few roll call votes have been listed in both sections if the legislation is particularly important.

    Budget Priorities

  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to pass a state budget that eliminated essential health services for our most vulnerable residents and did nothing to encourage job growth in our state. HB1, Roll Call #161, 3/31/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to pass a budget that hurts New Hampshire's most vulnerable citizens and undermines the quality of life in our state. HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to pass a state budget that severely cut essential health services for the elderly and disabled, gutted the state's college education system, and instead provided corporate tax giveaways to big tobacco companies. HB1, Roll Call #228, 6/22/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to divert insurance premium tax revenue into the rainy day fund instead of using the money to restore or fund programs cut in the state budget. HB1652, Roll Call #67, 2/1/2012)

    Budget Cuts

  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to reduce the state waiting list for adults with developmental disabilities. (HB1652, Roll Call #209, 3/29/2012)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to eliminate the successful public-private partnership called the NH Healthy Kids program and instead placing the majority of those children into medicaid managed care. HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to restore 7 positions with the State Police within the Department of Safety. HB1, Roll Call #150, 3/31/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to fund domestic violence programs in the State of New Hampshire. HB1, Roll Call #151, 3/31/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to fund alcohol and drug abuse prevention intervention and treatment. HB1, Roll Call #157, 3/31/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to fund the innovative research center at the Department of Resources and Economic Development. HB1, Roll Call #147, 3/31/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to repeal prevention programs for at-risk children and the incentive grants for those programs. HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to cut funding for the Children in Need of Services (CHINS) program which provides care, treatment, guidance, counseling, discipline, supervision, and rehabilitative resources to help children and their families be productive, contributing members of society. HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to suspend reimbursements to the foster grandparent program through the senior volunteer grant program. HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to restore employment related child care to assist families struggling to stay in the work force. HB1, Roll Call #152, 3/31/2011)

    Budget Give-Aways

  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to lower the cigarette tax and providing a corporate tax giveaway to Philip Morris/Altria and other Big Tobacco companies. (HB2, Roll Call #143, 3/30/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to reestablish a communications tax exemption for land-line users. The legislation would return just 84 cents a month to land-line customers but cost the state approximately $5 million a year in revenues that could support services for the elderly and disabled, or help to expand economic incentives. HB37, Roll Call #27, 2/16/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to reduce the meals and rooms tax -- and New Hampshire revenues -- from 9 percent to 8 percent. According to public records, the difference was about charging a tourist to New Hampshire $.0.63 or $0.70 for a $70 hotel room rent; and what was at stake was $27 million in tourism revenues for New Hampshire. The commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development reported that there had been no downturn in tourism since the current rate had been established. During this same session, New Hampshire substantially cut funds for the University System of New Hampshire and critical community health services. (HB166, Roll Call #29, 2/16/2011)

    Budget Forecast

  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to tie the hands of communities to a one-size-fits-all tax cap gimmick that, when passed, eliminates the opportunity for local control over local budget decisions. HB341, Roll Call #91, 3/16/2011)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to require a supermajority vote for all state budgeting decisions and allowing a minority of politicians to use the policy to dictate state decisions. CACR6, Roll Call #292, 6/6/2012)
  • The New Hampshire General Court voted on whether to pass a ramped up version of a constitutional amendment which would micromanage future revenue policy and ensure that the regressive property tax remains the main source of state revenue. CACR13, Roll Call #288, 6/6/2012)

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Nashua Telegraph: LTE: Telegraph ignores GOP achievements

[IN COMMENTS] Entering into 2010, the State of NH inherited an unheard of deficit of nearly a billion dollars. The prevailing side at the time "borrowed" the money to cover the deficit, then claimed there was no more deficit. That's like paying off your mortgage with your credit cards and then claiming you have no mortgage. Fiscal responsibility has been restored to this state because of hard work of this past terms majority and fiscal sanity.

Concord Monitor: 17 1/2 years later, the state's taxing trouble remains

When I first ran for office, my most important goal was relief from the property tax, which took up a substantial percentage of taxable income - not just mine, but many other people's too. ... A reasonable source of income stares us in the face: an income tax, based on the ability of everyone and anyone to "share the load." One argument I've heard is "property taxes will not go down." I will suggest that they could go down with an income tax rate capped at a sensible level and by sunsetting a number of fees and small taxes that are expensive to administer.

I've changed my mind on gambling

I am now a supporter of expanded gambling in New Hampshire. I have long voted no on gambling bills. But recently, my constituents have been voicing louder and stronger support for this idea. ... I have long been an opponent of gambling, listening to those who believe they know best and who predict terrible things will come to New Hampshire. Turns out they are the same arguments we heard 40 years ago, when the state decided to create sweepstakes games.

Concord Monitor: The public's art

A bill that would repeal [the State Art Fund] has been working its way through House committees... "I just look at it as a place that we could be putting more thought into. . . . Certain kinds of buildings might need more art, and other kinds of buildings might need less art. Why not do it on a case-by-case basis?" [bill sponsor Dan McGuire said.]

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