The vastly outnumbered N.H. House Democrats face almost certain defeat in the battle over the 2012-2013 biennium budget. But, with the floor amendments they’ve introduced, it’s clear they don’t plan to go down without a debate about how to raise and spend state funds.
Altogether, there are 19 Democrat-sponsored floor amendments to the House Finance Committee’s version of House Bills 1 and 2, which together comprise the Granite State’s budget.
In particular, the amendments would provide more money to community college and university systems, mental health services, three programs in Health and Human Services, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture (to stop three proposed job cuts), and to the consumer protection division in the Department of Justice.
Other amendments also propose alterations to retirement system changes, a measure to restore more funding to reimburse hospitals for uncompensated care, and — importantly — revised revenue estimates, which would allow for the increased funding.
Here are a few floor amendments, in particular, that caught our eye:
- Listing the scores of highway construction and improvement projects in dozens of towns that would be eliminated due to reductions in the Finance Committee’s budget. The projects total $378,000, and all had been approved in 2010 as part of the 2011-2020 Ten-Year Transportation Plan. (HB 2)
- Remove Rep. Neal Kurk’s (R-Weare) amendment that would make public employees “at will” when their contracts expire, giving employers (ie: the state, municipalities) the upper hand in negotiations. (HB 2)
- Restore more than $25 million in payments to community mental health centers. (HB 1)
- Add $12 million to the community college system and $50 million to the University System of New Hampshire budgets. (HB 1)
- Restore $5 million for employment–related childcare programs. (HB 1)
- Fund seven state police detective positions. (HB 1)
>> The debates will begin in earnest today at 9 a.m. when the House meets in full session at Representatives Hall to consider the main budget bills, the floor amendments, and more than 25 other bills on the consent and regular calendars.
This Daily Dispatch was written by Michael McCord.