Governor Chris Sununu has vetoed a bill that would have increased funding for Medicaid providers, saying that with a new budget in place soon, the measure is now redundant.
The bill would have made an appropriation for Medicaid provider rates for mental health, substance use disorder, emergency shelter and stabilization services. The legislationwould appropriate $3 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, funds to be nonlapsing. It also proposed $450,000, also non-lapsing funds, to support emergency shelter and stabilization services for people experiencing substance use disorder.
Sununu said Friday that passing the bill might have made sense in January, but "we are now less than 30 days away from its end date." Read the veto message in full.
He said the funding in the bill is worthy of consideration, but should be discussed as a part of the state budget process still underway.
Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes, D-Concord, said the veto is dangerous for continued access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
(This post was updated Saturday with additional information from the AP, and the governor's veto message.)
