Republican Report - Message from Dave - 5/30/08
Next Wednesday will bring down the curtain on what has been a painful two years for the taxpayers of our state. From increased taxes to overspending, House Democrats have put the state of New Hampshire into a financial crisis that will have long range repercussions for future legislatures.
I would like to thank all of you who served on a committee of conference this week and who worked hard to support the Republican position on many key issues. The results that came out of a number of committees of conference will certainly help in the coming campaign to point out the differences between Republicans who fought for the taxpayer at the State House and the Democrats who increased spending by 17% to match overestimated revenue figures, and increased fees and taxes.
I am proud of our conferees on SB 530, relative to kindergarten aid, who stood their ground despite the majority party’s failure to follow House Rules. By attempting to add an amendment that protects donor towns, House Democrats ignored House Rule 49:g, which is quite clear, “a non-germane amendment is any subject matter not contained in either the House or the Senate version of the bill.” This does not bend the House Rules, it totally breaks them. While protecting the donor towns is a laudable goal, adding it to SB 530 goes against everything the House stands for. I anticipate a floor fight on this issue when we convene next Wednesday.
“We have rules for a reason,” noted former Speaker and current House Republican Policy Leader Gene Chandler. “If we didn’t have these rules, the legislative process would be never ending and chaos would set in.”
It is pretty evident that Democrats are looking to help the governor close the gap on his budget deficit at the expense of those who use tobacco and play games of chance. Rep. Hawkins, who led the fight on the committee of conference, was removed so that betting limits could be doubled and a poker tax enacted. We will carry the fight against this expansion of gambling to the floor of the House on Wednesday as well.
The “Lynch tobacco tax” also prevailed in the committee of conference on SB 321, the legislation that Democrats have chosen to use as their “Christmas Tree Bill” in an attempt to help the governor deal with his budget crisis.
What the Democrats are “spinning” to the public is that the $.25 increase in the tobacco tax won’t go into effect for at least three months and then only if tobacco revenues fail to meet specified targets. We know what will happen in the end, and it will be the taxpayer who suffers.
House conferees stood firm against the Senate with regard to aid for Charter Schools in New Hampshire. Under HB 1642, these schools will receive $5,000 for each student they enroll next year. The funding includes $3,832 that the state now provides public schools for each student, and an additional $1,168 per pupil. The agreement is a onetime, one-year deal that will end when a new school funding plan takes effect on July 1, 2009. That plan gives charter schools a minimum of $5,540 per student. The Senate wanted to deny Charter Schools any funding, but were willing to put $1 per student into the bill.
Fortunately the House conferees stood together in opposition to an attempt by the Senate to do the governor’s bidding by tacking on the bonding of $80 million of school building aid to HB 1646, the 10-year transportation improvement plan. We have been adamant in the past that this is something that should be paid out of the operating budget and there is no reason to change this practice.
Using this method to close the governor’s budget deficit is like using one credit card to pay off another credit card and is fiscally irresponsible. As we mentioned in an earlier Republican Report, it was only due to the initiative of Republicans on House Finance that a number of changes were made to SB 321, however the huge reductions necessary to bring our level of spending down in line with our revenue stream are not there. The ONLY cuts made were those required by state statute.
As of late Friday afternoon, conferees on the Retirement Bill (HB 1645) were at a complete stalemate. We will have a full report of their final outcome with a discussion of our Republican position at the caucus on Wednesday.
This Wednesday will be our final opportunity to show the voters of this state that we Republicans have continued to serve in their best interest over the past two years. The voters wanted change two years ago and what they got was a change in tax policy, a change in the spending policy, and a change in the open way in which business is conducted at the State House in Concord. I urge our Republican Caucus to stick together on Wednesday. We will hold a caucus on Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM in Rooms 305-307 of the Legislative Office Building. I am looking forward to a good turnout.
Please remember that our office will be open throughout the summer to assist you with putting together information for your campaign. We cans supply you with the voting records of your Democrat opponents on issues that are important to your constituents.
I thank you all for your hard work in what has been a most difficult year with the loss of our Republican Leader Mike Whalley, as well as other members of our caucus Jim Oliver, Don Buxton, Bruce Hunter, and Bob Forsing. On behalf of our Republican Leadership team I thank you for your support during those very trying times.
I hope to see many of you back here in the fall and, to those of you who will make the decision to step down from elected service, I thank you for your contribution to the Republican cause. We have worked hard to maintain and protect the New Hampshire Advantage Republican Caucus and we will resume the fight again in January.
I would like to thank all of you who served on a committee of conference this week and who worked hard to support the Republican position on many key issues. The results that came out of a number of committees of conference will certainly help in the coming campaign to point out the differences between Republicans who fought for the taxpayer at the State House and the Democrats who increased spending by 17% to match overestimated revenue figures, and increased fees and taxes.
Broken Rules
I am proud of our conferees on SB 530, relative to kindergarten aid, who stood their ground despite the majority party’s failure to follow House Rules. By attempting to add an amendment that protects donor towns, House Democrats ignored House Rule 49:g, which is quite clear, “a non-germane amendment is any subject matter not contained in either the House or the Senate version of the bill.” This does not bend the House Rules, it totally breaks them. While protecting the donor towns is a laudable goal, adding it to SB 530 goes against everything the House stands for. I anticipate a floor fight on this issue when we convene next Wednesday.
“We have rules for a reason,” noted former Speaker and current House Republican Policy Leader Gene Chandler. “If we didn’t have these rules, the legislative process would be never ending and chaos would set in.”
Expanded Gambling, Increased Taxes
It is pretty evident that Democrats are looking to help the governor close the gap on his budget deficit at the expense of those who use tobacco and play games of chance. Rep. Hawkins, who led the fight on the committee of conference, was removed so that betting limits could be doubled and a poker tax enacted. We will carry the fight against this expansion of gambling to the floor of the House on Wednesday as well.
The “Lynch tobacco tax” also prevailed in the committee of conference on SB 321, the legislation that Democrats have chosen to use as their “Christmas Tree Bill” in an attempt to help the governor deal with his budget crisis.
What the Democrats are “spinning” to the public is that the $.25 increase in the tobacco tax won’t go into effect for at least three months and then only if tobacco revenues fail to meet specified targets. We know what will happen in the end, and it will be the taxpayer who suffers.
Charter Schools
House conferees stood firm against the Senate with regard to aid for Charter Schools in New Hampshire. Under HB 1642, these schools will receive $5,000 for each student they enroll next year. The funding includes $3,832 that the state now provides public schools for each student, and an additional $1,168 per pupil. The agreement is a onetime, one-year deal that will end when a new school funding plan takes effect on July 1, 2009. That plan gives charter schools a minimum of $5,540 per student. The Senate wanted to deny Charter Schools any funding, but were willing to put $1 per student into the bill.
No to Bonding
Fortunately the House conferees stood together in opposition to an attempt by the Senate to do the governor’s bidding by tacking on the bonding of $80 million of school building aid to HB 1646, the 10-year transportation improvement plan. We have been adamant in the past that this is something that should be paid out of the operating budget and there is no reason to change this practice.
Using this method to close the governor’s budget deficit is like using one credit card to pay off another credit card and is fiscally irresponsible. As we mentioned in an earlier Republican Report, it was only due to the initiative of Republicans on House Finance that a number of changes were made to SB 321, however the huge reductions necessary to bring our level of spending down in line with our revenue stream are not there. The ONLY cuts made were those required by state statute.
Retirement Stalemate
As of late Friday afternoon, conferees on the Retirement Bill (HB 1645) were at a complete stalemate. We will have a full report of their final outcome with a discussion of our Republican position at the caucus on Wednesday.
This Wednesday will be our final opportunity to show the voters of this state that we Republicans have continued to serve in their best interest over the past two years. The voters wanted change two years ago and what they got was a change in tax policy, a change in the spending policy, and a change in the open way in which business is conducted at the State House in Concord. I urge our Republican Caucus to stick together on Wednesday. We will hold a caucus on Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM in Rooms 305-307 of the Legislative Office Building. I am looking forward to a good turnout.
Please remember that our office will be open throughout the summer to assist you with putting together information for your campaign. We cans supply you with the voting records of your Democrat opponents on issues that are important to your constituents.
I thank you all for your hard work in what has been a most difficult year with the loss of our Republican Leader Mike Whalley, as well as other members of our caucus Jim Oliver, Don Buxton, Bruce Hunter, and Bob Forsing. On behalf of our Republican Leadership team I thank you for your support during those very trying times.
I hope to see many of you back here in the fall and, to those of you who will make the decision to step down from elected service, I thank you for your contribution to the Republican cause. We have worked hard to maintain and protect the New Hampshire Advantage Republican Caucus and we will resume the fight again in January.
