More Rancor At The Statehouse As Sununu, GOP Rack Up More Wins

CONCORD, NH — Despite majorities in both the House and the Senate, Democrats have been unable to drag enough Republicans over to their side to override many of the governor's vetoes on the second day of reconsideration of bills by legislators. On a slew of votes Thursday, Republicans in the state Senate held the line and refused to assist their opponents in overriding vetoes by Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH. The three bills overridden by the state Senate were SB 88, the elimination of the waiting period for a medical marijuana license; SB 74, an increase in LCHIP funding for preservation projects, and SB 100, a bill that would prohibit employers from asking job applicants for any criminal background information.

As well, the state Senate failed to approve of the one bill where Republicans joined Democrats to override the governor – HB 364, which would have allowed medical marijuana patients in New Hampshire to grow their own plants.

The House, however, joined the Senate in overriding the governor's veto of SB 88, but failed to override SB 100.

Some of the other vetoes sustained by the state Senate included a minimum wage increase of up to $12 by 2022; a paid family and medical leave plan that created a payroll tax; money for job training programs for people in recovery; SB 140, which would have required school board authorization of Learn Everywhere alternative education credits; changes to the definition of political advocacy organizations; the banning of LLCs being allowed to make political donations; and the revocation of changes to the definition of resident and residency for voting purposes.

State Budget Bickering

The back-and-forth bickering about the state's fiscal year 2020-2021 budget continued in the House as an end-of-the-month deadline looms to come up with some sort of compromise.

House and Senate Democrats brought forward another budget this week and informed the public and the press that they would be calling for a vote. House Republicans, after the announcement, asked when they would be able to see the budget, and questioned whether or not the rules should be suspended to allow for a vote on this new budget.

"What they proposed is not a compromise, had no buy-in from any member of the Republican party, and side-stepped negotiations with the governor," said state Rep. Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, the House Republican leader. "Additionally, the fact that they only released the text of the bills yesterday, and did not allow us or the public time to read and thoroughly understand the bills is really disrespectful. We didn’t even have time to prepare or submit amendments before the deadline because we were in session all day yesterday. They must think we’re a bunch of pushovers, but thankfully the legislative process has the provisions for the minority to stop this madness by preventing a two-thirds majority to allow the bills in."

The vote to suspend the rules failed in the House, ticking off Democrats.

"It was extremely disappointing today to see Governor Sununu and House Republicans continue to obstruct budget negotiations," said State Rep. Doug Ley, D-Jaffrey, the House majority leader. "Despite slowing revenues from a slowing economy, Republicans are blocking a budget to get even more unpaid-for tax breaks for big, out-of-state corporations. New Hampshire cannot wait for a budget deal."

Ley added that when Republicans controlled the Legislature in 2015, they did the same thing to then-Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-NH. He also attached a copy of the letter from then-Speaker Shawn Jasper in order to prove his point about the past lack of notification timeline.

Potential 2020 gubernatorial opponent, state Sen. Dan Feltes, also lashed out at the governor for blocking progress on the budget.

"It’s incredibly disappointing that Governor Sununu would order legislators to block any consideration of the compromise budget proposal," he said. "As we rapidly approach the end of the continuing resolution, the Governor is recklessly propelling New Hampshire government to a possible shutdown. No one is entitled to get everything they want in any compromise, even if your last name is Sununu."

Sununu, however, called the request to suspend the rules a political stunt.

"I believed we were working together, in good faith, to get a budget done," he noted. "I am disappointed Democrat leadership chose to try a political stunt today by bringing forward a budget that had no chance of succeeding. I am very serious about getting a budget done and we need the Democrats to get serious too."

Both parties have until Sept. 30, to come up with a compromise on the FY2020-2021 budget.

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