State Budget Up in The Air
Governor Threatens Veto
When is a budget not a budget? When it is vetoed by the Governor! After a week of painstaking negotiations between the House and Senate budget writers over revenue estimates and which programs would be cut and which ones spared, Governor Ayotte says she will be vetoing the Republican passed budget.
The Governor isn’t vetoing the budget because it creates a Medicaid income tax for the most vulnerable Granite Staters, that was in her budget too. She isn’t vetoing it, because it rapidly expands the unaccountable voucher program to even the richest Granite State families, which could bankrupt our state, while not addressing funding for our local neighborhood public schools. She already signed that bill into law. She isn’t vetoing it because it fails to provide more state funding for public schools to support students’ special education needs, which currently can lead to huge spikes in local property taxes or cutbacks in public education programs. The increase in special education grants Ayotte called for in her budget did not survive the House and Senate budget process, but universal school vouchers for millionaires did.
She is vetoing the budget because it fails to keep her promise and New Hampshire’s promise to fully fund group two retirement. This is important and it should be done BUT it would not be a struggle to fund if not for the decisions the state made to fund vouchers for the ultra-wealthy in this budget and cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy in the past 3 budgets.
The full House and Senate will vote on the budget next week to take the final vote. It remains to be seen if this budget passes both chambers, but it is clear the Governor will not let this budget become law.
If you want to join advocates calling for a budget that supports the needs of Granite State working families and encouraging Governor Ayotte to follow through on her stated intention to veto this budget, come to the rally at the State House Tues. June 24 at 5 pm. Fight for Our Future Rally
Some other things this week. The cell phone ban was put aside because it was put into the budget but with the threat of a budget veto that will be on hold for now. The House and Senate also could not come into agreement on a more asinine version of the parental bill of rights that had worse penalties for educators. That bill is also done for the year.
We will keep you updated on what happens next with the budget. Hope everyone stays cool.
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