Legislature Holds Hearings; NH Guv Meets With Biz Leaders: Update

CONCORD, NH — As the New Hampshire budget stalemate enters its second month, each side appears to not be budging – and, instead, squaring off with their own media opportunities, to showcase their positions. Both legislative leaders and Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH, have scheduled their own press meetings with constituents to make their finer political points this week. Legislators have booked three public hearings for anyone to "tell their story" about what the budget under a continuing resolution means to themselves and their organizations. Sununu, who vetoed a committee of conference compromise budget, created by Democrats, at the end of June, is meeting with business leaders.

Leaders from both political parties, expecting a budget veto by Sununu, approved a continuing resolution to fund the state government, at its previous levels, through October.

The House and Senate hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Aug. 1, Aug. 13, and Aug. 29, and will feature overviews of health and human services on the first, all other departments other than health and education in the middle of the month, and then education last. The hearings will take place in Rooms 210-211 of the Legislative Office Building.

In a joint statement, Senate President Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, and House Speaker Stephen Shurtleff, D-Penacook, said it was important that the people of New Hampshire have an opportunity to weigh in as the negotiating process continues.

"This series of public hearings will give Granite Staters and state agencies a voice in the process and an opportunity to share the impacts they are facing during this continuing resolution, particularly in the areas of health and human services and education funding," they stated.

State Sen. Dan Feltes, D-Concord, a potential challenger to Sununu next year, in an email to supporters, encouraged private citizens to attend the hearings.

"Keep standing up and speaking out," he wrote. "We need you and your voice now, more than ever."

Sununu, who met with 50 community leaders last week, is meeting with a roundtable of leaders in industry involved with the Business and Industry Association in Concord Thursday. He is expected to discuss his "roadmap to common ground" proposals with business leaders while also stressing why he vetoed the budget – which included a rollback of business tax rate break proposed by Democrats – something popular with the BIA.

According to officials, under the continuing resolution, the state is saving about $700,000 per day or about $22 million since the governor vetoed the committee of conference budget.

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