On the eve of the House's vote on the state budget, lawmakers decided to let Governor Craig Benson cut 19 million dollars of current state spending to reduce the pending deficit. The full House will consider three budget proposals later this morning.
Appearing before the legislature's fiscal committee, Governor Benson kept things focused on the bottom line. Benson said cutting 19 million in current state spending is essential for next two year budget. Benson provided few details about where exactly those cuts will take place. But he assured lawmakers that those with a better grasp on specifics have done New Hampshire proud.
"The department of administrative service has done a yeomans like work to identify these particular issues. Obviously their expertise in identifying these is better than just about anyone in state government. So I do feel good about these numbers and their ability to make these things happen."
While Benson's proposal enjoyed majority support. It had critics on both sides of the asile. Democratic house rep, Margery Smith of Durham says it's very difficult to square Benson's assurances that 19 million dollars can be saved in little more than two months, with recent testimony from state agency heads..
"Either this is funny money, or every agency on that list wasn't candid with us...You have to be really worried."
Smith's voted against the Benson's order.She was joined by Senator Dick Green of Rochester. Green says he'd like to believe savings are actually there...But said the Benson administration's failure to provide documentation made it impossible to back the proposal.
"They should have made everything avaliable to back up those numbers to the committee, so that we should see if those numbers are realistic and whether or not they impact the agencies in a way that's not good for the state. Unless we know that I'm not sure in good conscience we can vote for it. I'm not questioning him at this point- I'm just saying you gotta show me the numbers and show me the back up. If you can't do that I'm not going to vote for anything with those kinds of last minute approaches."
The proposed cuts span state government, but are deepest at the agencies whose recent testimony would suggest they are strapped. Heath and human services, for instance, has been asked to cut 10 million in current spending. Corrections, meanwhile, must trim more than 900,000 dollars. Six figure cuts are also in store for the department of environmental services...the state retirement system...the A-G's office and the community technical college system.
With that as the backdrop...lawmakers will tomorrow consider three approaches to the budget: A bare bones plan passed by house finance...That proposal relies on the 19 million dollars in savings as well as a 32 million dollar cut to state retirement benefits...Another possibility, is a house finance measure that doesn't include the 19 million dollars in cuts, but uses a 39 cent tobacco tax increase to raise some 114 million dollars in additional revenue.The last alternative is the plan put forth yesterday by republican leaders. That proposal seeks a middle ground...It's less austere than the House's bare bones approach...but doesn't raise the cigarette tax. Colebrook Republican Fred King says he wants to support the work done by the finace committee, but acknowledges the leadership plan achieves two results important to many house members.
"It certainly takes care of the issue of the retirement money...that gets restored...It also take care of the county nursing home- all nursing homes in fact. It raises the entire line item...So those are two critical concerns of mine."
King's position is echoed by house finance chairman Neal Kurk, who, like King, voted last week to support the cigarette tax increase. Kurk says given the circumstances, all lawmakers have the right to change their minds.
"When unexpected and new development occur, I think every member of the committee is entitled and ought to go back and look at the situation with fresh eyes."
