Governor-elect Maggie Hassan is telling executive branch agencies to rein in spending requests for New Hampshire’s next two-year budget. The new spending proposed by agency heads is 19 percent more than is funded in the current budget.
As a candidate, Governor-Elect Hassan said that the current GOP-crafted budget had the wrong priorities. And as she opened three days of budget hearings Hassan said she plans to reverse some Republican budget choices. But Hassan also warned it won’t happen all at once, and that she has no plans to support the $11.9 billion in spending proposed by department heads
"Those requests total far more than our taxpayers or our economy can afford."
Leaders of the state’s colleges and universities were out in force at the hearings. Two years ago republican lawmakers cut their anticipated funding by about 50 percent. University system officials now want 100 million dollars in new funding. They say the money would allow them
to freeze tuition
and increase student aid.
