School funding proposal eliminates the statewide property tax and relies on 28 cent per pack increase to the cigarette tax.
Flanked by the 13 senators who have agreed to back his funding proposal -- the governor was liberal with his praise.
"they have put politics and partisanship aside -- joining together joined together to make progress for the people of New Hampshire. They care about what I care about - putting in place a school funding law that truly meets our responsibility to our children and provides a sustainable and lasting solution to school funding."
The plan spends 460 million dollars -- about the same amount he originally earmarked for schools. But the governor's original targeting formula has been tweaked. Special education and English as second language have been added as factors that would boost a school districts share of state dollars. The change would benefit urban centers like Manchester and Nashua. Other measures, such as a town's median income, test scores and the number of students receiving free and reduced lunch remain in place…….The governor described those modifications as improvements.
" believe that the initial bill has evolved into a better legislation and a better bill. So what I think we have now is strong peeve of legislation…..That has the input and the involvement of the House and the Senate."
Twelve of the thirteen senators to sign on the plan had backed Lynch's plan form the beginning……The Senator whose support put the plan over the top was Rochester republican Dick Green.
"I've been struggling with this like all the senators for a long time and at some point in the game you have to make a decision and decision time is now and you make it. And you make it to the best of you abilities, based on the facts that are in front of you."
Green says those facts include the his judgment that no other plan can win majority support……That includes the property tax driven formulas favored by senate republican leadership, and an alternate proposal authored by Manchester senator Ted Gatsas.
"Now I've said to the governor and I'll say to you there's another plan out there that I like better and that's the gatsas plan…..But the plan that has the votes that is the best available is the one before us and the governor presented today."
Green opposes increasing the cigarette tax but says he'll vote to do so if it's needed to pay for schools. But others with a stake in the ed funding debate say it's still too soon to throw in the towel and back the Governor's plan. Farmington Republican Packy Campbell co-authored the house's school funding plan.
"The problem is when you look at the five richest towns and the five poorest towns -- that was the big argument we made on the house floor -- his bill does the exact opposite of what we want to do."
Campbell also says the new funding formula would be phased in too slowly to offer districts much relief. The Senate will take up the proposal Thursday. Should it pass, the plan will move back to the House, which can vote to concur ……If that doesn’t happen, education funding will be hashed out in a house senate committee of conference.
