GOP Approve Irresponsible Committee of Conference Report on HB1, Leave Majority of Granite Staters
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
Senate Republicans Approve Irresponsible Committee of Conference Report on HB 1, Leave Majority of Granite Staters Behind
CONCORD - Today, Senate Republicans approved the Committee of Conference report on HB 1 which cuts funding from public education, underfunds New Hampshire’s homeless shelter system, defunds family planning centers, underfunds child care for vulnerable families, and risks state revenues through unnecessary business tax cuts which only serve to benefit large out-of-state corporations.
After the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester), Deputy Senate Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua), and Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) issued the following statements:
Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) stated, “Republicans have made it abundantly clear, their priorities lie in benefiting the wealthy and large out-of-state corporations, not the average citizen. By defunding family planning centers, they have risked the health care of 15,000 men, women, and families. By ignoring the desperate need for access to safe, affordable child care, they are sending our economy backwards and making it harder for women to get back to work. This budget is wrong for families, wrong for businesses, and wrong for New Hampshire.”
Deputy Senate Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) added “Our homeless shelter service system has repeatedly asked for help in meeting the needs of our ever growing homeless population. In Nashua, there are 300 homeless school aged students. In Manchester, there are as many as 900. That is unacceptable. We had the money to do the right thing to support our vulnerable citizens. Instead, Republicans chose to turn a blind eye to the issue in order to give handouts to the ultra wealthy.”
Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) added “New Hampshire is currently looking at over $200 million in surplus revenue as a result of the last budget cycle. Rather than capitalize on that success and continue to support New Hampshire’s economy, Republicans have decided to play Robin Hood in reverse. Cuts to our public education system will benefit our most property rich towns while leaving the property poor towns behind. Cuts to our family planning centers will leave thousands without basic health care. Today’s vote against HB1 was a vote against the unanswered needs of our state and the unanswered question of who is this budget really for.”
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