NH House Republicans Comment on Senate Amendment Blocking DRA From Taxing Businesses Based on Tipped Employees

CONCORD - Today House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) and Rep. Pat Abrami (R-Stratham) offered the following comments following the hearing on a Senate proposed amendment that would block the Department of Revenue Administration from being able to use tips received by employees in their calculation of Business Enterprise Tax owed by businesses.

House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett)

“I’m hopeful that the Department of Revenue Administration would not try to seek new and interesting ways to circumvent the legislative process to reach into the pockets of our small business owners. A clear reading of existing statutes prohibits this type of taxation The livelihoods of many restaurateurs and their employees are at stake. This amendment is good for business and our State’s hospitality industry. I’m happy the Senate is working to address this issue, and we will work to ensure the House concurs with this amendment.”

Rep. Pat Abrami (R-Stratham), House Ways & Means Committee

“Our State’s business community would appreciate transparency and predictability in how taxes are assessed. In this instance, it appears as if the DRA has taken it upon themselves to reinterpret their rules. The State’s hospitality industry employs tens of thousands of people. Without this amendment, each one of these employees is subject to becoming an increased tax burden to their employers. If we’re looking to help our job creators in this recovering economy, we need to step in and prevent the DRA’s new nickel-and-diming scheme.”

NH Senate Ways & Means estimates state revenues for FY14-FY15 at $4.3B

Total is $74.5M less than House, $162.7 less than Governor

Table now set for Finance Committee to finalize state budget for June 6^th Senate vote

CONCORD – The Senate committee charged with estimating revenues came out with its projections today regarding how much money will be available to fund the state’s budget for the next two years.  After Ways and Means voted unanimously to set the number at $4.3 billion, Chairman Bob Odell, R-Lempster, issued the following statement:  

    “After careful consideration, the committee believes $4.3 billion is the base amount of state revenues we can expect for FY 2014-2015.  ($2.139B FY14 + $2.193B FY15) This puts Senate revenues at $74.5 million less than what the House proposed and $162.7 less than Governor Hassan’s budget. This base amount reflects revenues that have actually come in since the governor and the House had their turn with the budget and the fact our committee anticipates only modest growth in state revenues over the nexttwo years.” 

    “For the next biennium, the Senate comes out $92.4 million ahead of the House in business taxes. However, we do project lower, more conservative totals in other traditional revenue categories based on strong returns over the last few months of the current fiscal year.”

     “The major differences between the House and Senate estimates come by way of Schedule 2 adjustments.  This is where the House counted on additional funding from a tobacco tax increase, postponement of business tax cuts, and increased revenues from new DRA audits.  At a time when the business climate in New Hampshire appears to be improving, Senate Ways & Means did not believe relying on millions in new taxes on businesses and consumers was the way to balance the budget.  As a result, when you look at total estimates after adjustments, the Senate comes in $74.5 million lower than the House for the next biennium.”

   “Additionally, when you combine the revenues we can really trust with our MET payment issues, the Senate came up $300 million short of the revenues the House used to support its level of spending.” 

NHDP - Senate Republicans Must Name Their 300M Budget Cuts

NH Families and Small Businesses "Flat Out" deserve to know what 300 million Senate Republicans have put on the chopping block

Concord - If Senate Republicans plan to double down on the failed O'Brien-Bradley budget scheme from two years ago, the people of New Hampshire deserve to know what they plan to cut.  Last week, Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Morse claimed the state budget the House sent to the Senate had a $300 million dollar hole and added that "flat out, the budget is going to look a whole lot different when it leaves the Senate than it does now." But Morse and Senate Republicans detailed only a small percentage of the 300 million they want to cut from the state budget, by vowing to cut funds for LCHIP and a scholarship program for underprivileged students.

"It is time for Senate Republicans to 'flat out' name their cuts," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Communications Director Harrell Kirstein.  "If Republicans plan to devastate education, kill hundreds of  New Hampshire jobs, put winter snowplowing at risk, downshift to local communities, and slash hospital funding - again - they should be honest with the people of New Hampshire about what exactly they plan to cut.  The very least Republicans can do is eliminate the uncertainty and let Granite State families and small businesses can brace themselves for another round of reckless and irresponsible Republican cuts."             

In the last budget, House and Senate Republicans made the largest cut to public higher education in American history.  They killed hundreds of New Hampshire jobs, downshifted millions of dollars to local communities, and cut services for seniors and people with disabilities in order to pay for tax giveaways to big tobacco.

"The Bradley-O'Brien budget was an epic disaster for the people of New Hampshire and for Republicans on ballot in 2012.  It's no surprise that Senate Republicans want to hide their plan to double down on this failed approach from Granite Staters, but that doesn't make it right," continued Kirstein.  "Will Senate Republicans eliminate all funding for higher education, pushing through another double-digit tuition increase? Will they cut additional aid to cities and towns, raising local property taxes? Will they cut health care for seniors, people with disabilities and children?  The people of New Hampshire 'flat out' deserve to know."

Rep. William O'Brien's Comments on the Senate Tabling of the Repeal of the New Hampshire Education Choice Law

Concord - Today Rep. William O'Brien (R-Mont Vernon) offered the following comment on the Senate Tabling of the Repeal of the New Hampshire Education Choice Law:

“I join with many parents and all in New Hampshire who believe that children of low and moderate income families deserve the best education possible in congratulating the Senate for preserving equal education opportunities for those families by tabling HB370, the repeal of the New Hampshire Education Choice Law. Giving parents more public and private school choices when it comes to the education of their children is going to expand elementary and high school educational opportunities for our children and, through competition, will improve public schools.  That this will be done, not by more government spending, but by business tax credits and that the program will allow us to use our public school dollars on educating fewer students, makes the opposition to this law inapplicable, unless that opposition is founded on reasons other than what is best for children.  We need to see more money-saving, opportunity-expanding programs such as the New Hampshire Education Choice Law on both the state and federal levels.”

NH Senate Republicans Comment on Passage of Pro-Jobs Legislation

The New Hampshire Senate

Republican Majority Office

Concord, NH – Senate Republicans released the following statements on the passage of two pro-jobs bills during today’s session.

Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) on the passage of HB 598, increasing the reasonable compensation safe harbor for Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) owners:

“In 2011, I was proud to sponsor SB125 to reform the state’s LLC statutes and establish a minimum safe harbor threshold of $50,000 for small business owners to draw as a salary.  HB598 increases that threshold to $75,000 which will allow small business owners to keep more of what they make each year without worrying about intrusive audits of their finances.  By establishing a more appropriate threshold, this legislation removes concerns about shifting levels of taxation and is another important step to ensuring New Hampshire remains a business-friendly state that nurtures our small businesses.”

Sen. Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith) on the passage of HB676, extending the Coos County Job Creation Tax Credit:

“The Coos County Job Creation Tax Credit has been an added incentive to North Country businesses to create jobs throughout the recession by providing a credit against the business enterprise taxes a business would pay on new employees.  As the state and the region continue to work our way back from the economic downturn, it is important that this incentive remain in place to remove some of the disincentive to hire and instead encourage the creation and expansion of business and job opportunities across the North Country.”

Both bills passed by votes of 24-0, without amendment, and now head to the Governor for her signature.