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N.H. Senate's Ways And Means Committee Sets State Revenue Figures

josh rogers/nhpr

The Senate Ways and Means committee has adopted revenue figures for the next state budget.

The numbers are higher than the senate's earlier forecasts, but about $20 million shy of what Governor Sununu proposed.

In the context of a $12 billion dollar budget, a $20 million difference may seem small, but reaching agreement was a challenge.

The final vote added $53 million dollars to what the senate projected last week by bumping up estimates on businesses taxes, real estate transfers, and the tax on interests and dividends.

The final vote split Republicans and Democrats. Committee chairman Andy Sanborn opposed the new estimates, but was quick to blame Democrats , who are in the minority.

"Democrats absolutely said they would vote for an number only to get in to the room and vote against the number. So I don't know what their game is today."

Democrats, meanwhile, say they believe revenue will come in still higher. And they tried to get the GOP-led committee to adopt the Governor's revenue numbers.

Senator Dan Feltes said he backed for  the committee's new estimates to keep the process moving, and said that Sanborn's claims about democrats were false.

"You can say, 'quote, Senator Sanborn is full of baloney." 

The new revenue numbers go the the Senate Finance committee, which has until Wednesday night to finish its work on the budget.

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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