Critics outnumbered supporters by more than 3 to 1 and included officials from the Governor's hometown.
It may be a cliché to say the NH house is where constitutional amendments go to die -- but it tends to be true……The past decade has seen dozens of Claremont-inspired constitutional changes rolled out and quickly voted down……Since he unveiled his Senate-backed proposal in late March, the Governor has worked hard to make sure his plan, doesn’t follow that precedent.
"To not do it I believe is not an option. We need to bring finality to the education funding debate, and now is the time to do it."
While it's hard to gauge the effect of the Governor's sales job, the vast majority at the hearing didn't seem to be buying it.……Some said it doesn't do enough to overturn the supreme court ruling that says the state must pay for all of educational adequacy….Others say it prizes politics more than it does educational opportunity. Portsmouth State Rep. Paul McEachern said the plan protects NH's gentry at the expense of those who can’t afford high property taxes. ……McEachern, ran on an income tax platform against Lynch in the 2004 democratic primary, and he scoffed at the Governor's claims that the amendment would end school funding discord.
"It will literally balkanize the state of NH. It will create biennial bloodbath in the legislature for the crumbs that are available for education. And it won't take the legislature long to learn how to put together towns that will be taken care of and towns that will not."
And the criticisms weren't limited to those who have been Lynch adversaries…….They also included longtime allies.
"I recall my father telling me years ago, he said, if two people always agree, one of them isn't thinking."
That's former Governor Walter Peterson…….He was chairman of Republicans for Lynch in the Governor's two campaigns….Peterson said the Lynch's proposal, which would require the state to pay at least half of educational adequacy and give lawmakers broad latitude to target aid, goes too far in limiting judicial review…..Peterson says passing any constitutional change prior to defining adequacy is a mistake……The former Governor then asked the committee to resist pressure to accede to Lynch's position.
"That's a word for caution, taking your time, and not letting anyone push you unduly."
Others close to Lynch also opposed the amendment……Officials from his hometown of Hopkinton came out in force. The school superintendent told lawmakers it the Governor's plan would erode local support for schools. The amendment also came in for criticism by the town's state reps……Freshman Democrat Gary Richardson, told the committee that the Lynch proposal was a non-starter from its inception.
"If you listened carefully when the Governor proposed this amendment and the 50 percent of adequacy figure was disclosed publicly, you could almost hear the minds closing, mine among them."
Richardson was also among the reps proposing to amend Lynch's amendment…….He suggests making the state fund 100 percent of total adequacy, with broad leeway for targeting aid.……..Others suggestions included….funding 75 percent of adequacy, banning the use of any state property tax, or of eliminating the word cherish from the constitution. That's the language the Supreme Court has interpreted as meaning to pay for…….While the future for those proposals remain murky, some at the hearing did hold hope, that if nothing else, the Lynch amendment will be a way for people to further the dialogue…….John Lyons is chairman of the NH board of education, which endorsed the Lynch plan last month.
"Without this amendment, all you're going to have is the various parties having these discussions. So by passing this amendment, you can still have discussions you had today, but this amendment, at the end of the day, allows you to find a solution so you can take the kids out of this long running debate."
For now, the amendment will remain in the house finance committee……A bill to spell out the state's definition of adequacy is now in the Senate…….In order to make in on the 2008 ballot, the Lynch amendment will need 239 votes……By court order, lawmaker have until July 1st to define an educational adequacy.
