NH House Republican Leaders Comment on Passage of Bill Repealing School Choice Tax Credit

CONCORD – Today House Republican Leader Gene G. Chandler (R-Bartlett), Deputy House Republican Leader David Hess (R-Hooksett) and House Republican Policy Leader Laurie Sanborn (R-Bedford) offered the following comments following the passage of HB370, a bill that would repeal the school choice tax credit program. The bill passed the House 188-151.

House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett)

“Choice in education should not only be available to the rich. No parent should be forced to send a child to a school that does not meet the child’s needs. This program became law less than one year ago. Its first program year was to be this year. We now have businesses who have committed donations and families who have applied for scholarships who are in limbo, not knowing if they will be able to receive those scholarships. This program should be given a fair chance to succeed or fail on its own merits.”

Deputy House Republican Leader David Hess (R-Hooksett)

“This bill repeals a completely need based scholarship opportunity that makes programs of academic excellence available to moderate and low income families. We poured hundreds of hours into ensuring the program would not adversely affect school districts or state revenue. Now a politically motivated bill has threatened to end the program before it can be fully assessed. It’s unfortunate for those families and children who could benefit.”

House Republican Policy Leader Laurie Sanborn (R-Bedford)

“No child learns exactly the same and each child has his or her talents and strengths. Unfortunately, other than the choice to uproot and move to a different school district, most middle class families have lacked choice in education, which is a barrier preventing many children from achieving their full potential. It’s a real shame the Democrat controlled House voted today to take that opportunity away from our state’s lower income families. Parents know their children best and we should allow families to make choices together that are in the best interest of individual students. We made a promise to the hundred of families who have already applied for financial assistance. We hope the repeal fails in the Senate and we’re able to give this program and the children it helps a chance to succeed.”

Congresswoman Shea-Porter Cosponsors Sugar Reform Act

Signs on as Original Cosponsor to bill that saves consumers, taxpayers and businesses $3.5 Billion a year

Washington, DC –Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter joined thirty-six of her colleagues in introducing the bipartisan “Sugar Reform Act.”  This bill removes unnecessary sugar subsidies that have kept sugar prices too high.  Sugar subsidies have hurt consumers and driven manufacturing jobs out of the United States, which is why this reform is supported by a broad array of business, consumer advocacy, and environmental groups.

“In Congress, we have a responsibility to protect taxpayers by rooting out waste in government,” said Congresswoman Shea-Porter.  “Sugar subsidies are unnecessary.  We can find significant savings by eliminating programs like this one.”

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Background:

Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Mark Kirk sponsored companion legislation in the Senate. 

The Sugar Reform Act would:

• Repeal unnecessary trade restrictions.  The 2008 Farm Bill restricted the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture to allow additional sugar imports when needed in the U.S. market.  The 2008 Farm Bill required USDA to set import quotas (also known as tariff-rate quotas) at a legal minimum each year, with very limited flexibility to then respond to changing market conditions as needed.  This bill would repeal these unnecessary restrictions that have further restricted supply, providing greater flexibility to those implementing the program.
• Repeal the Feedstock Flexibility Program.  The 2008 Farm Bill added a $193 million program that requires the government to buy surplus sugar, and then sell that sugar to ethanol companies at a loss.  This bill would save taxpayers from footing the bill for keeping prices high.
• Eliminate higher price support levels.  The 2008 Farm Bill facilitated higher price supports for sugar growers.  Reducing these rates would help put prices back in line with historic levels and reduce liability for taxpayers.
• Reform domestic supply restrictions to provide more flexibility to USDA.  This bill would eliminate the current artificial guarantee of 85 percent of consumption and ensure that the current program is administered with sugar-using industries also in mind.  In addition, the bill would restore the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority to modify or suspend these domestic marketing allotments.

• Provide flexibility to USDA in administering quotas.  This bill would also give USDA more flexibility in administering the import quota system.  The bill encourages greater efficiency by allowing qualifying countries to trade their quotas among themselves on a temporary and voluntary basis.  In addition, the amendment establishes a target stocks-to-use ratio for USDA to ensure that implementation of the federal government’s sugar policy is transparent and consistent.
• Provide savings.  The federal sugar program has cost consumers and businesses an estimated $14 billion over the last 4 years.

CEI - Landmark Bill Would End Taxpayer Handout to Gov’t Unions

Coalition of Gov’t Watchdog Groups Urge Support of "Federal Employee Accountability Act"

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 14, 2013 - Government labor unions have long been able to conduct union business while on the job and on the taxpayer dime, under a little-known policy called “official time.”  Legislation introduced by Rep. Phil Gingrey could end this tax give-away to unions, and a new coalition of government watchdog groups called on Congress today to support that plan.

"No one disputes the right for workers to form a union," said Matt Patterson, a CEI Senior Fellow. "But when unions use the government to secure for themselves privileged status and perks, when they use the levers of power to funnel public money into their private coffers, they break a sacred covenant of free government, which works only when and if the law is applied equally and to all."

"Every federal government employee swears an oath to defend the Constitution and to perform their civic duty is the best way possible," said Trey Kovacs, a CEI Labor Policy Analyst. "When a federal employee is conducting union business while on government duty that vow is broken. Unfortunately this happens everyday due to the costly and wasteful subsidy to federal union employees known as official time."

An estimated $155 million in taxpayer money was wasted on “official time” activities in 2011 alone, as the coalition letter explains.  A U.S. Office of Personnel Management official, Angela Bailey, has stated publically that federal workers spent nearly 3.4 million hours conducting union business in 2011.  The Federal Employee Accountability Actwould end that practice and save the taxpayers an estimated $1.3 billion over 10 years.

“At a time when the federal government lurches from one fiscal crisis to another, this is money we can no longer afford to squander on political favors to private special interests,” the letter states.

The coalition letter includes as signatories: CEI, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, the National Center for Public Policy Research, Heritage Action and the Alliance for Worker Freedom.

>>  View the coalition letter

>>  See also: Official Time: Taxpayers paying for union work is officially a scam

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CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

MPP - NH Poll: 79% Support Medical Marijuana

Bill to make medical marijuana legal for patients suffering from serious illnesses scheduled for legislative hearing next week

CONCORD – Seventy-nine percent (79%) of New Hampshire adults support allowing doctors to recommend marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses, according to the Granite State Poll sponsored by WMUR-TV and conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Just 14% said they were opposed.

The poll was released just as a bill is moving forward in the legislature that would allow patients suffering from serious illnesses to use medical marijuana with recommendations from their doctors.

“There is an exceptional amount of support for allowing patients suffering from serious illnesses to use medical marijuana in the treatment of their conditions,” said Matt Simon, a New Hampshire-based legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project. “Very rarely do we see any proposed policy enjoy such overwhelming public support.”

H.B. 573, introduced by State Rep. Donna Schlachman (D-Exeter), would allow seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. Patients would be able to grow up to four marijuana plants in their homes or obtain marijuana through one of five state-licensed alternative treatment centers. Gov. Maggie Hassan has expressed support for passing medical marijuana legislation. A medical marijuana bill that passed with bipartisan support last session was vetoed by then-governor John Lynch.

The House Committee on Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs is scheduled to hold a hearing on H.B. 573 next Thursday, February 21 at 10 a.m. ET in Rooms 205-207 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord.

“Marijuana been proven to be an effective treatment for a number of medical conditions and associated symptoms,” Simon said. “Seriously ill New Hampshire citizens who would benefit from medical marijuana should not – and in some cases cannot – wait any longer for the right to improve the quality of their lives.”

The Granite State Poll of 581 randomly selected New Hampshire adults was conducted between January 30 and February 5, 2013. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 4.1%. The poll can be downloaded at http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2013_winter_issues021213.pdf.

A survey conducted January 7-8 by Public Policy Polling showed more than two-thirds of New Hampshire voters (68%) think the state should enact a law allowing seriously ill patientsto use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow patients with qualifying conditions to use medical marijuana with recommendations from their physicians. Lawmakers in 12 states have introduced similar legislation this year, and medical marijuana bills are expected to be brought forward in an additional seven states.

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The Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s largest marijuana-policy-reform organization, has been responsible for changing most state-level marijuana laws since 2000. For more information, visit http://www.mpp.org.

NHPC - HB 540 Public Hearing - Feb 5th

New Hampshire's leading entertainment and communications trade association, the NH Production Coalition (NHPC), filed an LSR to develop production incentives to grow the creation of film and television content produced in the state of New Hampshire. HB540 is scheduled for public hearing, before the Ways and Means Committee this Tuesday, February 5th, 2:15pm, at the Legislative Bldg., 33 N State Street, Room 202, Concord. We welcome your attendance at the hearing to show your support of the bill HB 540, and the work of the NHPC.

nhproductioncoalition.org

Also taking place on Tuesday, a bill has put forward that would eliminate the Department of Cultural Resources. This department strengthens the Arts in New Hampshire. Please click on the link below to find out how you can show your support for the Department of Cultural Resources.  

HB 561: Bill to ABOLISH the Dept of Cultural Resources   Public Hearing: 2:30 pm, Room 306 LOB