NH Senate to hold hearings on House budget
NH Senate to hold hearings on two-year $11 billion House budget, doesn't have casino revenue
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- The New Hampshire Senate will hold hearings this week on the $11 billion two-year budget package passed by the House in April, which does not include $80 million in casino license fees called for in Gov. Maggie Hassan's proposed budget.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Morse, a Salem Republican, has said the House budget relies on inflated revenue estimates as well as unnecessary tax increases on gas, diesel and cigarettes. Morse is a strong proponent of the Senate-passed casino bill currently being debated in the House, saying it would make such tax increases unnecessary.
Without the gambling revenues, House budget writers scaled back education aid, such as giving a smaller increase to the state's university system and putting off implementation of a new school construction program.
