House and Senate Sustain Governor's Vetoes

Both the House and Senate spent significant time debating education related issues. In the House, Republican leaders were unable to convince two thirds of the members to support the measure that would have allowed charter schools. House Education chairman Warren Henderson said he regretted that the Governor vetoed the bill that would have set up the new schools. Henderson said that's because the governor has actually said she supports the concept, but vetoed the bill because of several differences with House and Senate lawmakers.

"These are not insurmountable problems. We had the opportunity to make progress on school choice. And the notion that once again, the governor would sit in her office and then put a torpedo in the side of the work that we did, that's just not responsible."

The Governor had also vetoed a bill which would have tied increases in the state education grant to the consumer price index. Supporters of that measure claimed education costs are spiraling out of control. Senator Robert Boyce, Republican of Alton, said the governor's veto of that bill and the charter school measure indicates she's in the clutches of the teachers union.

"and in fact the governor, just in other batch of veto messages, that are being dealt with across the wall, 106 vetoed a bill that would have made it easier to create competition, the charter school bill. The governor does not want competition, because she likes the monopoly, because the union that hires all these people and negotiates for them backs her very well in her campaigns. She doesn't want to go against them."

But Democratic senators said the House and Senate's inaction in lowering the property tax rate was really responsible for the governor's veto. Senator Clifton Below of Lebanon echoed the governor's message, when he said rising property values would result in taxpayers unfairly paying more of the education cost.

"what this bill, the effect of it, whether the intent or not, the effect is to shift the cost of education back to the property tax. Local property tax and state property tax. It shifts the total share of the cost from the state to the local communities. It shifts it back to the property tax. I think the governor sums it all up in saying nh should become less dependent on property taxes for schools, not more dependent. 68 35 its that simple."

Senators defeated the override of this veto and several others on strict, party line votes.
In the House, Republican leaders tried to raise the level of outrage among lawmakers to try and gain the necessary support to implement new rules regarding eminent domain. Representative Fran Wendleboe argued government takings were unfair to businesses, because they often funded only part of the cost of most relocations. Wendleboe said Department of Transportation Head Carol Murray once estimated the annual total of those costs, and the numbers were staggering.

"and she came in and she said the fiscal impact would be 17 million in first year on the state budget. She also said that there were approximately 10 properties taken a year. So, if we believe her 17 million dollar figure, that means we cheat every business we take an average of 1.7 million dollars. How many businesses can sustain that kind of cut to their value?"

Despite the efforts of House and Senate Republicans to override the twelve gubernatorial vetoes, they were unsuccessful in each case. In addition to charter schools, school funding, and eminent domain, lawmakers also upheld vetoes on house and senate redistricting, MTBE groundwater contamination notification, and a measure requiring greater proof of qualifications for individuals to register to vote. Governor Shaheen is on a trade mission to Mexico, and so was unavailable for comment. But spokesperson Pam Walsh said lawmakers did the right thing in upholding the gubernatorial rejections.

"the vetoes were common sense. These bills weren't good for the people of New Hampshire. The legislature wisely upheld them."

For NHPR News, I'm David Darman.