New Hampshire transportation officials say a $41 million budget cut proposed by House budget writers would have dire consequences on public safety and result in more than 300 layoffs.
Members of the House Finance Committee are considering the cut as they attempt to write a balanced budget to send to the House floor by the beginning of April. An initial proposal to increase car registration fees, as Gov. Maggie Hassan's budget includes, has received harsh blowback from Republicans who say they won't support a fee increase. Without it, the committee is proposing cutting the department's budget by $20.5 million a year in 2016 and 2017.
State transportation employees say they are already operating with limited resources and further cuts will lead to unplowed roads in winter and unsafe bridges.