CONCORD - Governor Maggie Hassan today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 1, reducing the rate of the business profits tax, and Senate Bill 2, reducing the rate of the business enterprise tax:
“Because they are unwilling to consider reasonable revenue changes – including a modest increase in the tobacco tax – the New Hampshire House of Representatives is currently decimating critical economic priorities for our state, including cutting the Department of Transportation in half, taking away health coverage from tens of thousands of people, cutting services like meals on wheels for seniors, cutting funding for higher education, and even cutting travel and tourism promotion in half. These two bills would create even deeper holes in this and future budgets, negatively impacting our ability to invest in the shared priorities that are critical to the success of our people, businesses and economy. Further eroding the revenue sources that do exist is irresponsible and will lead to further reductions.
“While we must maintain our low-tax environment, which the Tax Foundation ranked as the seventh-best in its business tax climate index, we must also continue investing in priorities such as a strong and healthy workforce pipeline, a modern transportation infrastructure, and safe communities that businesses tell me are critical to their ability to grow, thrive and create jobs. As we face ever-tightening budgets, we must examine the fiscal impact of these tax breaks with the same scrutiny as any new spending, and supporters of these bills must address how the lost revenue would be offset.”
Governor Hassan's statements on the recent budget bills:
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Good and bad news on the effort to better deal with mental health issues. Governor Hassan: Continuing efforts to implement last year's landmark mental health settlement and strengthen community-based mental health care in New Hampshire, Governor Maggie Hassan today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (New Hampshire Housing) an $8.6 million federal grant to provide rental assistance for people with severe mental illness. U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) this week re-introduced the Mental Health First Aid Act, bipartisan legislation to expand mental health first aid training and help the public identify, understand, and address crisis situations safely. The bill is being cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Rob Portman (R-OH) Jack Reed (D-RI), Dean Heller (R-NV), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The state’s mental health settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and funding in 2013 for elements of the 2008 10-year mental health plan are regularly cited as examples of how well New Hampshire is meeting its obligations to citizens with mental illness. However, while $28 million was appropriated two years ago, it appears that nearly $12 million of that investment has not been made. The programs which were authorized and funded – but which have not been implemented – include: Governor Hassan's office is in a full court press to get a massive redevelopment of the Balsams Resort passed the tangle of rules that could block it: Hassan said her administration strongly supports the project and so should the rest of the state. Stephen J. Connolly at NH Insider predicts that Governor Hassan's New Year with be . . . less than bright. These are my prediction(s) as to what I'm thinking will happen in 2015. Some of which will bode very well.. At the Foster's Daily Democrat offices Casey Conley has slowly realized that there is no true self, no world, no suffering. Dispelling all illusions, she runs her fingers over the glass of the window, and it ripples like water. Flashing with truth, she steps through the wall. These notes were discovered on her desk. Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed into law a bill that reclassifies most 17-year-old criminal offenders as juveniles. Current law treats offenders 17 and older as adults. The change prevents most 17-year-old offenders from having an adult criminal record. It also prevents these teens from being sent to state prison. The new law, which takes effect July 1, 2015, includes provisions for 17-year-olds to be tried as adults for serious crimes such as murder. At eight in the evening, still at her desk working, Governor Hassan clicked open the e-mail she liked least for the sixth time: Following the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) denial of the state's appeal for a major disaster declaration for April flooding in the North Country, Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement: WMUR reports on the question of whether some of the child refugees from violence in Central America could be resettled in NH: As lawmakers struggle to find a solution to the immigration crisis of children illegally crossing the U.S. border, some New England states have been asked to house some of the children. Officials in New Hampshire said there are no plans to bring any of the children to the Granite State. Gov. Maggie Hassan said she hasn't received a formal request for assistance, and no shelters have been set up. Let’s be clear, this is not an ‘urgent humanitarian crisis’ it’s an urgent leadership crisis. The question is whether President Obama has asked his good friend Maggie Hassan to house the illegal immigrants he opened our border doors for. You aren’t aware, Governor Hassan? That’s failed leadership. Pick up the phone and be aware. I have a few questions: Have you been asked to accept illegal immigrants as our neighboring state Massachusetts has? If so, what was your answer? If not, have you called to ask anyone and what is the answer? The most significant state-level investment in transportation infrastructure in 23 years, our bipartisan transportation funding bill is an important step toward addressing our transportation needs and building a solid, modern transportation infrastructure that is critical to the success of our people and businesses. The bipartisan bill keeps New Hampshire's economy moving forward by advancing critical road and bridge projects, finishing the long-overdue expansion of I-93 and improving travel for our businesses, workers and visitors. And by discontinuing toll operations at Exit 12 in Merrimack, this bipartisan bill provides long-sought relief to the citizens of Merrimack. Governor Hassan attended a conference of the New England Governors and eastern Canadian Premiers over the course of the weekend. Nameless but not forgotten, a veteran scribe at the Associated Press writes it up for us: The premiers of the Eastern Canadian provinces and governors of the New England states said Monday that delivering clean energy to this corner of the United States is one of the most important issues facing the region. Energy and economic collaboration were the main topics at a two-day conference between the five premiers and six governors that wrapped up Monday at New Hampshire's Mount Washington Resort. Eastern Canada is rich in hydropower while New England markets are eager to shore up supply and control some of the nation's highest energy costs. The six states have agreed to work together to increase supply and control costs. Aerospace was one of the topics and was a great platform for discussion of New Hampshire’s efforts in helping one of its fastest growing industries take off. Christopher Wrenn, chairman of the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium, talked about the organization’s evolution over the past 18 months, including the signing of an MOU last December with AeroMontreal, concluding that the consortium “is poised to do great things.” The economies of the New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces are linked, and further collaboration on economic development and energy will help create jobs, protect our natural resources and improve the economies of all our states and provinces. Our regional partnerships are critical as we work to expand opportunities for the middle class, support job-creating businesses and keep our economy moving in the right direction. This year's sessions were incredibly informative, and I am confident that by focusing on the initiatives we have laid out that together we can ensure a stronger economy. After the U.S. Senate voted down a bill that would attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling, Governor Hassan thought she’d add her 2 cents in a ridiculous facebook post: |