Legislative Updates by Rep. Maureen Mooney for May, 2023

Greetings!

Here are legislative updates on a selection of interesting bills this session:

Elimination of the Interest and Dividends Tax (earlier): Last term, the state budget included the elimination of the Interest and Dividends Tax by the year 2027. This term, the House version of the state budget includes the elimination of the tax by the year 2025. The budget has yet to be finalized and adopted. See text of HB 2 as amended by the House here: https://www.gencourt.state.nh....

HB 162 (AN ACT relative to supported decision making): A Merrimack constituent contacted me to request this bill just before the bill filing period closed last fall. He found an “omitted” section in the supported decision-making law that passed last year in a Senate bill. HB162 was signed by the Governor into law on May 4, 2023 and is effective on July 3, 2023. Here is the full text: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/pdf.aspx?id=11815&q=billVersion

HB 639 (AN ACT relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations thereof): This bill would legalize marijuana in New Hampshire for adults over 21 with a 12.5% sales tax attached. This bipartisan sponsored House bill passed through the House, but was killed yesterday in the State Senate. New Hampshire will remain the only state in New England that does not have legalized marijuana. Here is the full text: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/pdf.aspx?id=10859&q=billVersion

HB 89 (AN ACT relative to posthumous exonerations): This bill would posthumously exonerate Eunice “Goody” Cole and Willard Uphaus. Good Cole was the only woman in New Hampshire convicted of witchcraft in the 1600’s. Mr. Uphaus was sentences to a year in jail in the 1950’s for refusing to hand over a list of World Fellowship Center attendees to the NH Attorney General. This bill passed through the house with a vote of 317 - 45, but yesterday it was killed in the State Senate. Here is the full text: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/pdf.aspx?id=9996&q=billVersion

State Budget Update: The state budget, as amended by the House (HB1 and HB2), is still in the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate held a public hearing on the budget on May 2, 2023, but those still interested in submitting input can contact members of the State Senate Finance Committee (see here). Next, the Senate Finance Committee will propose amendments and make a recommendation on the budget to the full Senate at a date to be determined.

See you around town!

Rep. Maureen Mooney is in her fifth term as a NH State Representative serving Merrimack. She serves on the House Finance Committee (Vice Chairman of Division III), the Fiscal Committee (alternate), and is co-chair of the Speaker’s Advisory Group. Her website is: www.votemooney.com and Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/maureenmooneynh.