Announcements: March 2011 Archives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH  30 , 2011   
CONTACT:
603-271-6277


CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) today released the following statement on HB 580, which addresses the $7 billion unfunded liability in the state’s public retirement system.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“The need for reform to the public employee pension is essential. For years it has been apparent that New Hampshire should address the major problems within our current retirement system including the large and growing unfunded liability. An unfunded retirement system is a liability to the taxpayers of the state – that’s an unfair burden on our working families and it just can’t be ignored any longer. This is a responsible step forward to ensure that the pension system works for retirees, employees, future employees, and the people of New Hampshire.”

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“This legislation continues the important discussion regarding pension reform. We look forward to working with the Senate to find lasting solutions. We understand that we have an obligation to both taxpayers and state workers to find solutions that will guarantee the solvency of the retirement system without requiring higher taxes.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 30 , 2011
CONTACT:
603-271-6277


House Speaker Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem)  today released the following statement with regard to the passage of CACR 6, a constitutional amendment that would require that any tax increase or bonding would need to receive a vote of 3/5ths of both the House and Senate.  This legislation will now move to the Senate, where, if it passes there, will appear on the November 2012 ballot.

"Today the NH House made it clear that any future decision on raising taxes and fees should rest with the voters of this state.  This amendment is important to the future financial stability of New Hampshire.  We have seen first hand over the last four years the damage that can be   done to state, county and local governments when the legislature is allowed to tax and spend at will.  This will insure that any increase in taxes and additional bonding will no longer be done by a simple majority.  It is important that we give our citizens the opportunity to decide this issue at the polls in November of 2012."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH  28 , 2011
CONTACT:
603-271-6277
 


CONCORD – House Republican leaders, including House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon), House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Stephen Stepanek (R-Amherst) called for Democrats to point out what taxes and fees they would raise and how much more they would borrow to pay for the spending that they have called for in the coming budget.  Recently, House Democrat leaders and Governor Lynch have called for additional spending in the state fiscal year 2012-2013 budget.

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“Over the past several days, Democrats have called for an end to the fiscally responsible belt tightening necessary to cure the hangover of the spending binge that they put us through the past four years.  While they have made clear that, as the party of big government, the Democrats want more spending, they have yet to point out which taxes and fees they would raise to pay for this additional spending, or if they would rather further jeopardize our state’s bond rating by borrowing even more from our children and grandchildren to pay for the spending now.”

“After the Democrats left our state’s finances in ruins, New Hampshire voters knew they needed to elect some responsible adults to clean up the mess, which is exactly why Republicans have supermajorities across state government.  Despite the crystal clear message that the citizens sent last November, the Democrats want to continue the same tax, borrow and spend strategy that the public resoundingly rejected.”

House Speaker William O’Brien

“The House budget includes $47 million that was set aside to close the gaping hole in the current budget that was a result of the last round of inflated revenues.  That’s exactly why House leadership demanded that our budget use realistic revenue figures, and that’s just what we do.  We can’t continue to “look to the sky” for more money – that is a failed strategy that we will not repeat.”

“While it is a perfectly reasonable policy debate for others to suggest that the budget should spend more money, those who want to spend more need to show what taxes and fees they would raise on the working families and small businesses of the state.  Until and unless anyone who is calling for more spending produces a list of new and increased taxes and fees or increased borrowing to pay for bigger government, they are simply not being serious or honest with the public.”

House Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Stepanek

“With only slight variations, Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee and the state agencies agree with our approved revenue projections for the next two years.  As a consequence, more spending requires more taxing or borrowing if the legislature is going to meet its statutory obligation to present a balanced budget.  Just how much more do they want to borrow?  What new or increased taxes do they have in mind?”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Shutts – (603) 271-3664
March 10, 2011                                                                                             


CONCORD – House Speaker William O'Brien (R-Mont Vernon) today released the following statement concerning the recommendation by the Legislative Administration committee on the matter regarding Rep. Michael Brunelle’s qualifications to serve subject to Part II, Article 7 of the NH Constitution.

The committee found that ambiguity exists and therefore has decided not to move forward on hearings to remove Rep. Brunelle. Additionally, the committee found that the House should consider moving forward on rules and/or ethical standards to clarify and effectuate Part II, Article 7 so that going forward candidates and voters are clear as to the circumstances that would require forfeiture of a member’s seat under Part II, Article 7.

“This matter deserved strong legislative consideration and I am pleased that the Legislative Administration committee has reached a conclusion on the issue. I strongly support the committee recommendation, which is why I will be appointing a special committee at the end of the legislative session to review the issues raised by this case.

“The special committee will be tasked with determining if we need to make changes to our House rules to ensure that we are protecting the integrity of the house”

Date:       03/09/11 (Wednesday)

Time:       5:30pm   Buffet Dinner ($14)
                6:30pm   Meeting

Place:      Shanghai Restaurant
                331 South Main Street
                Laconia, NH
                603 - 524 - 4100

                (see map below)

Agenda:

The business meeting will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by Guest Speaker, political activist, and former candidate for the Republican nomination for US Senate, Ovide Lamontagne.  Ovide will talk about this past November’s election, and his Granite Oath PAC that is focused on bringing conservative presidential hopefuls to New Hampshire to speak. You won’t want to miss this!

One of New Hampshire’s most respected conservative leaders, and was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, seeking to replace the retiring Judd Gregg.  In a four way primary, Ovide earned 37% of the vote, falling short by only 1% out of over 140,000 ballots cast despite being dramatically outspent.  Activists and pundits alike attributed Ovide’s success to his ability to connect with voters as an authentic, ‘tell it like it is’ grassroots conservative.

A native son of Manchester, the fourth generation son of mill workers and dentists, where he practices law as a shareholder with the law firm of Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A.  Ovide is a 1975 graduate of Trinity High School. Following his graduation from The Catholic University of America in 1979, Ovide taught high school social studies for three years before obtaining his law degree at the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1985.  During his legal career, Ovide served as a law clerk to the Honorable James E. Barrett of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and legal counsel for the New Hampshire State Senate during the 1991 Legislative Session.

Since his return to Manchester in 1986, Ovide has been recognized as a leader in the charitable and non-profit communities, having been honored in 2009 as New Hampshire’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Daniel Webster Council – Boy Scouts of America. Additionally, Ovide has served as Chairman of St. Mary’s Bank Board of Directors, as Trustee of the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund.  He is past President of the Franco-American Center and Director of ACA Assurance, was past Honorary Consul of France to New Hampshire, and in 2002 he was named Franco-American of the Year. From 2002 through 2006 Ovide served as President of the Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver Award in 2006. He is a member of Club Richelieu Manchester, and is also a past Director of the Easter Seal Society of New Hampshire, CASA of New Hampshire, Manchester Crimeline, Inc. and the Mayhew Program.

Ovide has been an active member of St. Anthony Parish here in Manchester, where he served as co-chair of the 2001 St. Anthony Community Center Capital Campaign. He has served in a variety of roles with the Diocese of Manchester including as Chairman of the Diocesan School Board, member of the Corporate Campaign for NH Catholic Charities, the Catholic Lawyers’ Guild of New Hampshire and he is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. In 2007, Ovide received the Pope John Paul II Campus Ministry Center Award from Trinity High School.

Ovide served as Chairman of the New Hampshire State Board of Education from 1993-1996, and in 1996 he was the Republican nominee for Governor of New Hampshire.

Ovide and his wife Bettie reside in Manchester, in the home he grew up in, and they have two daughters, Madeleine and Brittany.

If you're interested in having the buffet dinner (at your option) or want to socialize before the meeting, plan to arrive as early as 5:30pm.  For more information, please send an email to Alan@BelknapCountyRepublicans.org

Map to the Shang-hai:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                                                                         
February 28, 2011
CONTACT: Christine Baratta
603-225-9341

 
Concord – The New Hampshire Republican State Committee is pleased to announce Congresswoman Michele Bachmann will appear at a fundraiser brunch on Saturday, March 12th at 11:00am at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua.

 “I am pleased to welcome Congresswoman Bachmann to New Hampshire to help raise money for the state party,” said NHGOP Chairman Jack Kimball.

“Congresswoman Bachmann understands the importance of expanding the GOP in our state, returning principled conservative leadership to our Governor’s office and delivering a strong Republican nominee for President.  Michele is an outspoken defender of our constitution and as a small business owner and a mother who has raised five children and twenty-three foster children; she knows firsthand the struggles our families face and is leading the fight to bring fiscal conservatism back to our nation.  We know the Democrats have a serious spending problem and that President Obama’s job destroying policies, radical agenda and overspending have been a complete failure.  In order to see any economic recovery and a chance for our business community to grow and create jobs, the Obama agenda must be defeated in 2012.”

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Ellen Christo, Director of Development and Business Relations at ellen@nhgop.org.

--
Christine Baratta
Communications Director
New Hampshire Republican State Committee
press@nhgop.org
cell: 603-828-8026
office: 603-225-9341 

For more info: HillsboroughGOP.org