Mediaboss Marketing

CONCORD The day after the House approved an $11.2 billion vote with almost no Democratic support, Senate Democrats said at a news conference that they want to continue Medicaid expansion, restore the Rainy Day Fund and eliminate cuts to health and human service programs without raiding renewable energy funds.

But after Wednesdays House vote, Senate President Chuck Morse said Medicaid expansion will not be included in the Senates budget, but will be debated next session. Morse also ruled out new taxes and fees to pay for more spending.

As we go through the process, we intend to live within our means no new taxes or fees, Morse said. We have several priorities, growing the Rainy Day Fund, and two to reduce business taxes.

He said the Senate has always set priorities especially for the states most vulnerable citizens.

At Thursdays news conference, Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn, D-Dalton, called the House budget partisan and made to appeal to the Koch Brothers and former House Speaker Bill OBrien and his supporters.

We need a practical, not ideological, budget that builds a strong economy from the bottom up, not the top down, Woodburn said.

Democrats have a simple message, he said: They want to work with their Republican colleagues to produce a bipartisan budget that will move the state forward and lays a foundation for future growth.

Senate Finance Committee member Sen. Andrew Hosmer, D-Laconia, said the House plan is reckless with Draconian cuts, raids $50 million from the renewable energy fund, downshifts millions of dollars to local property taxes and leaves hundreds of millions of federal dollars on the table.

Democrats were also critical of taking all the money from the Rainy Day Fund and what they called budget gimmicks that hide the fact revenues are not enough to cover spending.

And Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, said Democrats do not favor more tax giveaways to big, out-of-state businesses and hide the costs by pushing them off to future years.

Excerpt from:
Senate Democrats call for bipartisan NH budget plan