As we all know, public education is under assault here in New Hampshire.  Yesterday, though, we won three important victories, and it is time to take a moment to celebrate and to reflect. Days like today don’t come about too often, especially when opponents of public education control seemingly control every branch of NH government.  But, through the hard work of thousands of people testifying in Concord, protesting outside the State House, writing letters and emails and calling their senators and representative, you won some important victories.  So congratulations, rest up for a day, and get ready for the battles yet to come!

In terms of public activity, this was a relatively quiet week at the State House, but be assured, wheels are turning.  The House met in session yesterday for only two hours, passing a number of smaller or less important bills, while work continues on the big pieces of legislation.  Probably the most noteworthy moment was the brief set of comments offered by Representative Kat Rogers in commemoration of the Columbine school shooting.  Her remarks were brief, pointed, and applauded by many, but not all (you can imagine what ideological element of the House refused to honor her efforts).  In similar fashion, the Senate also met and rendered decisions on a number of pieces of legislation, each important to certain constituencies but none of major, state-wide importance.  The big issues and the controversial legislation is yet to come forth; likewise, work continues on the Senate’s budget proposal. 

In the aftermath of the House’s stunning failure to pass a budget (due to Republican intra-party feuding), the Senate becomes the focal point of attention, as it works to develop a budget proposal.  Using Governor Sununu’s budget proposal as a starting point, the Senate will craft a budget and attach it as an amendment to a House bill.  That amended bill will then be sent back to the House, which will of course reject the bill, forcing a committee of conference to hammer out the final details of the State’s 2017-18 biennial budget.  So, much remains to be done, but much of it will occur behind the scenes, in negotiations between the Senate, the Governor, and the House.  Stay tuned-this will not be finished until June 2017.

House Budget Fails   The deadline for the NH House to pass a state budget was April 6^th. Despite having a 53-vote margin majority, the NH House Republicans failed to pass a budget to send to the NH Senate by the deadline for the first time in at least 50 years. The House met over two days and recessed on Thursday, April 6^th with no budget. Speaker Shawn Jasper was unable to garner the votes of the republican caucus to approve a budget after the so-called Freedom Caucus in the House balked at the budget citing too much spending. The NH Senate begins the process of dealing with the budget.