Surprise! Dems and GOP compromise on state budget

Congress is broken. Whatever President Obama proposes, the Republican-controlled House reflexively rejects for fear that Obama might gain a political victory. As a result of this impasse in Washington, legislative action has moved to the states.

There, bills are being passed, but they are frequently bad ones. Republican-dominated governments in Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas have passed laws severely restricting a woman's constitutionally-guaranteed right to an abortion. Republican governors Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Bob McDonnell of Virginia have signed laws requiring a woman to have a vaginal ultrasound recording before she is allowed to have an abortion. Republican governor Rick Perry of Texas is preparing to sign a law that will close 47 of the 52 women's health clinics in Texas.

Newly-passed gun laws have been a mixed bag. Colorado, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland passed bills strengthening gun safety. Other states weakened gun laws. Regardless of the topic, wherever change occurred, one party or the other in a state has its dominance to push through the new laws which reflect its political views.  Compromise has been a lost art.

Though New Hampshire has a divided state government with the governorship and the House in Democratic hands and the Senate under Republican control, until recently, stubbornness, not compromise, ruled the day.

The fact that the State Senate is currently controlled by Republicans is something of a fluke. In the 2012 General Election, collectively Democratic candidates for the Senate received more votes than Republicans. However, prior to the election, Republicans carefully gerrymandered the senate districts so that they subsequently won a majority of the Senate seats (13 of 24), even though they, as a group, received fewer votes. Had this gerrymandering not taken place and the district lines remained as they had been previously, Democrats would have been in the majority 14 seats to 10 for the Republicans.

Republicans stubbornly used this dubious majority to thwart important Democratic initiatives. GOP state senators hung tightly together, all 13 voting not to repeal the school voucher law which used public tax money to support private school students. (The law was later declared unconstitutional by the Strafford County Superior Court.)

Again, all 13 Senate Republicans voted not to expand Medicaid in New Hampshire, rejecting $2.5 billion from the federal government designed to provide medical coverage for 58,000 poor people who couldn't afford private insurance. The $2.5 billion would also stimulate New Hampshire's economy and lower hospital costs for other citizens. If finally and irrevocably rejected by New Hampshire, the $2.5 billion will then go to other states to cover Medicaid expansion.

So, given this background of obstinacy, it came as a great surprise when the deadlock abruptly ended, and both parties reached a widely-supported compromise on the state budget. The State Senate passed the budget (HB 1) and its related trailer bill (HB 2) by unanimous 24 to 0 votes. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the budget 337-18 and the trailer bill  346-12. Gov. Hassan quickly signed the budget bills, and they are now law.

What happened? Newspapers as diverse in their editorial viewpoints as the New Hampshire Union-Leader and the Portsmouth Herald applauded the budget. The Union-Leader (6/23/13) wrote, "All sides wound up compromising, and the result was quite positive."

The Herald (6/25/13) commented, "Compromise is neither exciting nor emotionally satisfying. Those taking hard positions on the far left and right find it much easier to rally the troops. But extremist bills are passed in one session and repealed in the next. By contrast, bills passed through compromise are sustainable."

Gov. Hassan noted in the Portsmouth Herald (6/29/13), "After some contentious years, the traditions of hard work, collaboration and common sense problem solving have returned to Concord. This is the most bipartisan budget in more than a decade, and it was possible only because we were all willing to work together."

So compromise was the magic talisman that brought about wide agreement on the budget. Another factor I believe was Gov. Hassan herself. By nature, she is a moderate Democrat who is open to new ideas, respectfully listens to opponents' views, encourages open and frank discussion, and, yes indeed, seeks compromise when necessary. Her patience, tolerance, and good will helped pave the successful path to a new budget.