NH House: February 2011 Archives

Friday, February 18, 2011

DOVER — Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien has a simple approach to the state budget: Look at what revenues the state has and then budget in accordance with those revenues.

It's a method, he said, that appeals to taxpayers because that's how they handle their own households.

"It's become the policy of the House that we won't spend more money than has been projected," O'Brien said Thursday during a meeting with the Foster's editorial board. "And that's roughly in the general fund of $4.4 billion dollars for the two years."

If there is growth, he said, additional funds will go toward tax relief or replenishing the state's rainy day fund.

Such moves are part of the Republican agenda to stop downshifting costs to municipalities and to bring affordable government and jobs to New Hampshire.

But O'Brien and Republican House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt, who joined for the meeting, said Thursday that Gov. John Lynch's budget, which was announced Tuesday, makes a false projection of revenues and creates additional taxes and fees.

Lynch's budget has stark contrasts to the budget put together by the House Republicans.

O'Brien said the Republican budget has $350 million less in revenues than Lynch's projection, which reflects a 2 percent increase in revenues.

He also said Lynch's revenue projections are $300 million more than what his agencies and departments are, and the Republican budget has about $50 to $60 million apart from his agencies and departments.

"The governor said there isn't going to be any tax increases, but his budget reimposes this two-year surcharge on motor vehicle registrations; it's raised approximately $90 million," O'Brien said. "He wants to put a $90 million tax on motor vehicle registrations."