Gov. John Lynch, D-N.H., recommended a $16-million state budget cut at a meeting of the New Hampshire House Finance Committee on Tuesday. The cut, if passed, will reduce support for several programs including first-responder training and the state highway fund, according to Colin Manning, Lynch's press secretary.
Lynch's proposed bill would help address the state's revenue shortfalls by making cuts to certain "dedicated funds," which are created for specific projects or services that have their own sources of revenue, Manning said.
"The governor chose these specific cuts as a way to prevent cuts to services for the most vulnerable citizens," he said.
Cutting the budget is not easy, Manning said, adding that Lynch has been working closely with state House, Senate and agency leaders.
"It's not because we didn't think these projects are worthy or don't need money," he said. "It requires tough choices."
Rep. Paul Hodes '72, D-N.H., is currently pushing to secure funding for New Hampshire infrastructure projects, especially roads in the Upper Valley, according to Mark Bergman, Hodes' communications director.
"There's the issue with the Route 4 Bridge and getting structural improvements," Bergman said. "[Hodes] is strongly working to make sure New Hampshire gets the funding it needs."
The bridge, which spans the Connecticut River in West Lebanon, was closed to heavy trucks in July 2008 because its structure was deemed too weak to support them, The Dartmouth reported on July 29, 2008.
Hodes has also focused on addressing home foreclosures, Bergman said. Hodes and Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., introduced the Homeowner Assistance and Taxpayer Protection Act on Dec. 3, 2008. If passed, the bill will assist families facing foreclosure by helping them restructure their debt in bankruptcy court and by helping lenders renegotiate the terms of at-risk mortgages, according to Bergman.
Hodes is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees banking, insurance, public and assisted housing and real estate, among other areas, according to the committee's web site.
The economy, which Bergman said is the top priority for Congress and President-elect Barack Obama, is also the number-one issue facing the New Hampshire state legislature, according to state Sen. Matthew Houde '91, D-Plainfield. Houde represents New Hampshire District 5, which includes Hanover.
In response to rising heating costs, Houde has proposed legislation to promote the creation of a low-cost, fuel-heating program, which he said may include logging trees on state lands in order to provide fuel for those who cannot afford to heat their homes. It is too soon to tell whether the measure will be adopted, Houde said.
The New Hampshire state legislature has received, and may continue to receive, suggestions about raising the state gasoline tax, Houde said, but the legislature will not consider new broad-based taxes.
The legislature will have to exercise particular care trimming the budget, Houde said, because New Hampshire already allocates its money relatively "efficiently."
"There's not a lot of fat on the bones," he said. "My concern is that you start cutting into the muscle."
Although Houde said the Upper Valley is not immune to the economic downturn, he referenced an Oct. 9, 2008 article in Forbes Magazine that called Lebanon, N.H. the least vulnerable town in the United States.
Members of the New Hampshire House Finance Committee did not return requests for comment by press time.
