Senate Republicans Say No to Infrastructure for Pre-K Funding
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3375
CONCORD – Today, in a party line vote of 3-2, Republican members of the Senate Education Committee voted interim study on an amended version of SB 453, prime sponsored by Senator Tom Sherman (D-Rye). As amended, SB 453 would have created the infrastructure for a preschool program and fund in the Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of preparing the state for the anticipated increase in federal funding for preschool programs. The bill proposed spending no dollars, and merely sought to create a mechanism for such a program if federal funding became available. The committee recommendation will next be voted on by the full Senate.
After the vote, prime sponsor Senator Tom Sherman (D-Rye) issued the following response:
“There is irrefutable evidence that strong early childhood programs, like pre-K, play an instrumental role in a child’s long-term health and well-being. SB 453 would have simply ensured that the state has the necessary statutory framework to support preschool children if the local municipality decides to start such a program and federal funding becomes available. There was absolutely no cost to the state, which makes my Republican colleagues’ refusal to move forward completely illogical. I am extremely disappointed that my Republican colleagues refused to take this simple step to support New Hampshire parents, children, and families.”
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