Josiah Bartlett Center - The Budget, CON, School Choice, and Safety's Cut

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

Wishing and Hoping are not the Best Budget Practices

The state budget is a mess. So what’s new? House budget writers are working to make sense of that mess before Friday. Their budget will be different from the governor’s but likely leave a lot of work left to be done.

In New Hampshire, governors present a budget more or less fully formed to the legislature. Then the House of Representatives takes six weeks to develop their own draft, plug any holes in assumptions, and then pass that draft to the state senate for further work... Click here to keep reading.

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House Finance Wants to Revive CON Board

Due to Expire in 2015

The House Finance Committee has voted to bring the state’s Certificate of Need Board back from the brink of extinction. The panel yesterday approved an amendment to the state budget that would undo last year’s repeal of the Health Services Planning and Review Board. Click here to keep reading

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Indiana Supreme Court Upholds School Choice Vouchers

Upheld for Religious Schools as well

The Indiana Supreme Court’s has unanimously upheld that state’s controversial school choice program, defeating a union challenge to the tax-funded scholarships for low-income students... Click here to keep reading.

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Highway Fund Diversion: What Does Safety's Cut Pay For?

Continuing our look at the Highway Fund

As detailed in an earlier piece on the Highway Fund diversion the Department of Safety receives a sizeable portion of the revenue raised by the state Highway Fund. Historically the Department has received roughly between 24% and 32% of the amount collected, net of block grants to the municipalities... Click here to keep reading.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Political Hostage Taking, Unemployment, and the Auto Dealers

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

A Brazen Attempt to Hold Schools Hostage

One committee chairman in the New Hampshire House admitted in a rare moment of candor that he intends to use schools as a political hostage in his grand negotiating scheme. This sort of cynical manipulation helps explain why average citizens have such contempt for politicians and their perverted sense of ethics.

New Hampshire’s charter school law has been in limbo for the better part of a year. The Attorney General has told the state Board of Education that its interpretation of language passed last session prohibits the Board from allowing any new schools to open. Oddly, the authors of that language intended precisely the opposite... Click here to keep reading.

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NHOpenGov

The State's Checkbook Online

Ever wonder how and where New Hampshire spends your tax dollars? Look no further than NHOpenGov.org, an open government project of the Center. We now have more than 3.5 Million transactions detailing how every last dollar was spent from the past 4 1/2 years. Help us find government waste! Click here to start looking.

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NH's Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.3%

Decline largely due to smaller labor force

New Hampshire’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.3% in February from 5.8% in January. This drop represents 290 fewer unemployed persons in the state, leaving 43,000 total people unemployed... Click here to keep reading.

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NH Senate set to Intervene for Auto Dealers

A look at SB126

The New Hampshire Senate is about to send in reinforcements in the ongoing battle between local car dealers and auto manufacturers. Senators are likely to approve SB 126-FN, a bill that would override the existing franchise agreements between car makers and car sellers, giving local dealers the ability to ignore contractual requirements from auto makers. Click here to keep reading.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Deficits, Sunshine Week, and The February Jobs Report

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

How Will Gov. Hassan Deal with the
Existing Budget Deficit?

New Hampshire’s budget often requires action to avoid a deficit. The budget ending this June 30 is no exception. We have a deficit, and the governor can and should act today in the same manner as all of her predecessors. Spending cuts now are both necessary and preferable to waiting and hoping.

New Hampshire’s last two-year budget is in its final four months. At this point we already know there is a revenue shortfall that would leave a deficit if unaddressed. The immediate culprit is the Medicaid enhancement tax. That tax on hospitals will raise $34 million less than the budget counted on. Other revenues are on track to be about $10 million less than budgeted... Click here to keep reading.

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Sunshine Week

The State's Checkbook Online

Celebrate Sunshine Week by checking out our transparency website NHOpenGov.org Ever wonder how and where New Hampshire spends your tax dollars? Look no further than NHOpenGov.org. We now have more than 3.5 Million transactions detailing how every last dollar was spent from the past 4 1/2 years. Help us find government waste! Click here to start looking.

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A Look at the February Jobs Report

Mixed Signals in Latest Report

February saw the national unemployment rate decrease from 7.9% to 7.7% with the Establishment Survey Data showing 236,000 jobs added over the month. Looking further into the data there are a few signs of growth but there are some discouraging ones as well. Click here to keep reading.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Understanding the Gas Tax, Highway Fund Diversion, and Budget Gimmicks

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

Understanding New Hampshire's Gas Tax

New Hampshire’s gas tax and highway fund are little understood even as the legislature votes today on doubling the state’s gas tax. The state’s highways are paid for with user fees and only with user fees, revenues are stagnant even if costs aren’t, the Department of Transportation is one of the more efficient branches of government, but many gimmicks still surround highway funds and the diversion of resources... Click here to keep reading.

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NHOpenGov

The State's Checkbook Online

Ever wonder how and where New Hampshire spends your tax dollars? Look no further than NHOpenGov.org, an open government project of the Center. We now have more than 3.5 Million transactions detailing how every last dollar was spent from the past 4 1/2 years. Help us find government waste! Click here to start looking.

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Charting the Highway Fund Diversion

Attempts to Protect or Take from the Fund Abound

In New Hampshire, not only is spending on highways paid for entirely with user fees like gas taxes and registration fees but the user fees are often diverted to other uses. The largest recipient is the Department of Safety... Click here to keep reading.

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Watch Out for the Gimmicks!

A look at the Governor's Budget

The New Hampshire House Finance Committee begins its work on the state’s two-year budget this week, and the Governor has already made their job a lot harder. Her budget recommendations are incomplete, violate New Hampshire law, and use a variety of gimmicks to hide increased spending. Click here to keep reading.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Current Law Will Stop Diversion of $28 Million From Highways

Weekly Update from the
Josiah Bartlett Center

Keeping you up to date on our latest research
on the issues impacting New Hampshire

Current Law Will Stop Diversion of
$28 Million from Highways

The state’s budget laws are often ignored. The general public knows this and so routinely believes that, no matter what they hear, some wool is being pulled over their eyes. This skepticism is strongest in the area of transportation where we presume diversions and shell games are routine. The details often prove the public right. This year’s budget includes a diversion of $28 million of supposedly dedicated highway fund revenue in violation of a law that is only a few years old and already being ignored... Click here to keep reading.