Both houses of the New Hampshire legislature have approved what was sold as a compromise budget deal. The media spin is that we now have a budget. But we always had one. It was last years.
The new ‘budget’ is less than Democrats wanted but includes things we didn’t want. I still need to wade into it to see what else is hidden in there, but I do know this. New Hampshire taxpayers are paying for other people’s abortions.
The House and Senate votes to pass the budget came just five days before a temporary spending plan was set to expire and were overwhelming in both chambers. The main spending bill passed the House 327-29, while the companion bill to make policy changes passed 316-40. In the Senate, the spending bill passed 24-0, with one senator, Republican Bob Giuda, voting against the trailer bill over funding for family planning services.
They mean abortions. Sen. Guida does not oppose funding “family planning.”
As for taxes,
Under the compromise, the tax rates will fall, rise or stay the same depending on how much revenue they bring in. In fiscal year 2021, the rates will go down if revenues in the previous year exceed projections by 6%. They’ll go up if revenue is 6% below projections, and will remain the same if revenues are in between.
Not exactly a stable, predictable tax schedule but the Democrats have promised to erase business tax cuts that have made New Hampshire a leader in regional and national employment and growth.
The Left still wants to screw this up. They are committed. And while the budget is not perfect, it’s better than the one they proposed initially. I doubt that’s saying much. I think we got screwed.
But, as always, the only true cure for what ails us is to elect fewer Democrats. We’d have never had a budget impasse had that been the case in 2018. Perhaps it will be an incentive to remove a few from office in 2020.
And again, we still need to probe it more detail and will, as time permits.
