Representatives from both parties see good in budget passage

LACONIA — State Rep. David Huot, D-Laconia, is happy about the compromise budget that passed Wednesday in the New Hampshire House and Senate, saying it “addresses the problem of education funding at a level never done before.”

A member of the Senate on the other side of the political aisle from Huot, Sen. Harold French, also thinks the budget is a good thing.

Both sides are praising the budget, which passed in House Bill 3 by 327-29 and HB 4 by 316-40.

The compromise, announced Tuesday by Gov. Chris Sununu, Senate President Donna Soucy, and Speaker of the House Stephen Shurtleff, increases public school aid by $138 million for the biennium ending June 30, 2021. It relies upon a $68.1 million appropriation of surplus money from the 2020 general fund.

While the state anticipates depleting the surplus by 2021, the plan calls for reinstating its stabilization grants to continue the aid to local schools.

“The idea,” explained Huot, “is the money raised today will do the things that need to be done right away, and once the surplus money is gone the stabilization grants will be extended. It’s a temporary replacement.”

The additional money will be distributed on a scale that gives the most money to communities with the lowest equalized valuation per pupil, decreasing until those with $1 million or more receive no additional funding.

Sen. Harold French, R-Franklin, said of the bills’ passage, “The reduction of stabilization grants has been detrimental to towns across New Hampshire. It is disappointing that there has been teacher layoffs and school closings because of a lack of education funding. With this budget becoming law, communities in Belknap and Merrimack counties will have the funding they need to provide more educational opportunities for our kids.”

The compromise eliminated an earlier proposal that would provide additional aid based on free and reduced-price meal-eligible children and fiscal disparities.

“It’s a reasonable compromise,” said Huot. “The governor and the negotiators came to a reasonable conclusion. Money that is spent locally is money they don’t have to spend out of the local tax base. They can use both, but don’t have to; they can replace the spending for education.

“In addition,” Huot continued, “the cities and towns will get a $40 million undesignated payment that they haven’t had in a number of years.”

The compromise budget also includes assistance for mental health issues. Huot pointed to the state’s 10-year plan that calls for the use of mobile crisis units to increase access to services throughout the state.

The budget also provides $8.75 million toward the construction of a 25-bed secure psychiatric unit on the grounds of the New Hampshire Hospital for people currently housed at the state prison. Budget-writers in June had appropriated $17.5 million before Sununu vetoed the budget.

Huot said the compromise recognizes that the initial work will involve the planning and execution of the construction plan, and that the facility would not be opening until the next biennium. “It basically postpones some of the work until the 2022 fiscal year,” he said.

Huot said the budget is “going to help everybody in the state, and particularly our most important asset, our kids.”

Roll call

Local representatives voting for both HB3 and HB4 were Joshua Adjutant, Grafton 17; Harry Bean, Belknap 2; Richard Beaudoin, Belknap 3; Dennis Fields, Belknap 4; Edward Gordon, Grafton 9; David Huot, Belknap 3; Vincent Paul Migliore, Grafton 9; John Plumer, Belknap 6; Peter Spanos, Belknap 3; Frank Tilton, Belknap 3; and Joyce Weston, Grafton 8.

Voting against the bills were Glen Aldrich, Belknap 2; Ray Howard, Belknap 8; and Michael Sylvia, Belknap 6.

Werner Horn, Merrimack 2, and Timothy Lang, Belknap 4, voted for the the main budget article, HB3, but against HB4.

Excused from the vote were Joyce Fulweiler, Merrimack 3, Charlie St. Clair, Belknap 9, and Harry Viens, Belknap 1.

In the Senate, the vote on the budget was unanimous, and the trailer bill authorizing spending in specific areas was 23-1, with only Sen. Bob Giuda casting an opposing vote.