The presidential primary is less than a week away. And with all the mailers, phone calls and news reports, it seems like the state’s attention is locked in on the race. But New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports that the state Legislative session quietly began today. He has this preview of the issues lawmakers are likely to debate in the coming months.
Before state Representatives officially kicked off the 2008 session, many attended a coffee and bagel meet and greet at the statehouse.
Republicans and Democrats chatted amiably.
The laughter, the back slaps, the occasional hug underscored the fresh, friendly, first-day-of-school quality that was in the air.
But 7-term Republican Representative Cynthia Dokmo says in an election year, the lawmakers who are joking together; have filed bills designed to oust each other.
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:36 legislators will be on record either opposing or supporting hot button issues, like the abortion bills- that will be a big one...tax issues... a constitutional amendment that is going to prohibit an income tax.
Lawmakers have filed 800 bills this year.
Many cover familiar ground- gay marriage, dog track racing, boat speed limits.
There’s a measure that would cap emissions from power plants.
Republican Representative Fran Wendelboe says she sees these popular issues like little soap-operas, where bills don’t die but twist along surprising paths.
Take parental notification for example.
That measure passed a few years ago, was thrown out by the Supreme Court, the Democratic Legislature thwarted any attempts at resurrection last year, and now....Representative Wendelboe has reintroduced it.
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2:12...It does have an emergency health exception...it’s already been to the Supreme Court, it’s already been upheld as constitutional. So for anybody to vote against this, they are absolutely voting against parental rights.
But the soap opera Wendelboe is really looking forward to watching is the debate over education funding.
In fact, when asked, most lawmakers said education funding is the biggest issue the Legislature must tackle this year.
Last session, lawmakers defined an adequate education and appointed a committee to put a price tag on it.
That committee reports to the full Legislature in February.
Again, Representative Fran Wendelboe.
4:17 the hottest thing is going to be the dance over education funding, and the constitutional amendment and how we can have it not cost any more money than it is currently costing. It’s going to be a great ballet of people trying to get to a resolution that makes everyone happy.
Republicans and Democrats agree the pressure is on the Democratic leadership in the Senate and House to figure out how to solve this perennial issue.
Governor John Lynch is still pushing for a constitutional amendment to make it easier to target aid to the neediest communities.
That could potentially save the state millions of dollars.
But if that move fails, and the state is on the hook for additional revenue to pay school costs, Democrats will have to look for new revenue sources in an election year.
Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan says her colleagues are prepared for the challenge.
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1:10 we stand for election every two years so every controversial issue in NH is difficult, but we are going to work very hard to meet our education needs and also comply with eht pledge that many of us took, we are not going to have a broad based tax.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Foster says, on top of education funding, the state must deal with its struggling retirement fund and bad roads.
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4:30 what I have seen is a lot of neglect that has come over the years. People turned their backs on problems that had they been addressed in a slow, deliberate fashion they wouldn’t have come to a crisis stage if you want ot use that word....these problems didn’t just come up yesterday.
That friendly first day of school is already over.
For NHPR News, I’m DG.
