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NH Watchdog’s Live Blog of the House
-Senate Committee of Conference on the BudgetJune 18-19, 2009
We're live at the Legislative Office Building in Concord, where theHouse-Senate Committee of Conference is finishing up its work onNew Hampshire's two-year $11.5 billion budget.Updates as warranted until they pass the budget.12:30pm- Revenue down. The Committee is downgrading itsrevenue estimates by $189 million. That just means more taxesthey have to raise, since they've already agreed to a big spendingincrease.1:04- Courts stay open. The Committee will leave open fourDistrict Courts that would have been closed in the budget, Keene,Claremont, Colebrook, and Milford.1:13- Gambling compromise- Sen. Kathleen Sgambati has offereda compromise gambling amendment that would limit the state to asingle slot-machine gaming license, which would automatically goto Rockingham Park in Salem. The amendment also allows for astudy to look into whether other licenses should also be added.Sgambati's proposal also includes a number of cuts to variousHealth and Human Services Programs.1:25- Lynch arrives- Governor John Lynch is on the scene, andholding private discussions with various Senators andRepresentatives.1:34- Cutting local retirement- The Committee just agreed to cutthe state's contribution for municipal retirement. It's currently 35%,and would go to 30% in FY10 and 25% in FY11. This would notreduce the benefits owed to municipal workers, but would requirelocal taxpayers to pay a greater share of those costs.1:40- Dueling Blogs- Rep. Steve Vaillancourt is also providing arunning commentary at RedHampshire. 
 
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1:43- Lou Speaks- Sen. Lou D'Allesandro has scheduled a 2:00pmpress conference downstairs in the LOB. He is not currently in theConference Committee meeting room.2:31- Pro-Gambling Senators Speak OutSen. Lou D'Allesandro led a group of six pro-gambling Senators ina press conference calling for a "non-taxpayer based" revenuessource for the state budget. The Chair of the Senate FinanceCommittee and lead negotiator for the Senate in budgetnegotiations has been taking a hard line that gambling must beincluded in any budget he supports.D'Allesandro, flanked by Senators Peggy Gilmour, Bette Lasky,Michael Downing, John Gallus, and Betsi DeVries, presented aplan to raise $205 million from casino-style slot machines at thestate's race tracks and in the North Country.D'Allesandro's says his plan would produce a $55 million surplus,which would be used to address Charter School or other cuts madeto the budget. His plan also includes:
 
State employee furlough
 
Additional 1/4 point increase in the Rooms and Meal Tax,slated to go 8.75%
 
Direction to the Governor to cut $15 million in each of thenext two years
D’Alessandro
said he would not accept a compromise offered bySenator Kathleen Sgambati, which would allow a single expandedgambling license to Rockingham Park. D'Allesandro said he was infavor of economic development for the entire state, and repeatedhis pledge to oppose any budget that does not include some formof his plan. Gallus, who has long pushed for a pair of slot parlors inthe North Country, also opposed any effort to limit slot machinesto Salem. However, Manchester's Lasky said she was open tocompromise, but still preferred expanded gambling across thestate.D'Allesandro said he would not take himself off the Committee of Conference. All Conference Reports must be unanimous, thoughSenate President Sylvia Larsen could remove any holdouts to afinal budget agreement. Larsen has sat through most of today'snegotiations, and at one point sat in when Sgambati is out of theroom.
 
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Governor John Lynch has been holding private discussions withkey lawmakers throughout the day, but D'Allesandro says he hasnot been taken aside yet."I'm felling a little slighted. The Governor hasn't taken me into aroom. What am I going to do?" D'Allesandro joked. "You know,my wife does that to me sometimes."The clock continues to tick down as the Committee faces aThursday deadline to pass the two-year, $11.5 billion back to thefull House and Senate. However, Committee Chair Marge Smithhas the power to "stop the clock" and hold off that deadline as longas necessary to get a deal done. Both Smith and
D’Allesandro
hopeto avoid a Continuing Resolution, which would allow NewHampshire government to remain open should the Legislature failto pass a budget by the end of the Fiscal Year on June 30th.3:32- And we're back.And we're caucusing. Lots of rumors in the hallways, but nothingto report.4:00- The Associated Press reports that a coalition of NewHampshire health care providers are seeking an injunction toprevent lawmakers from raiding theJoint UnderwritingAssociation for $110 million.Traditionally, courts don't intervene in legislation until it's beenpassed, and the aggrieved party can show harm, but if theinjunction is granted, it would blow a huge hole in the budget. Asit stands, House and Senate negotiators are about $190 million outof balance.Thanks to NH Political Report for the tip. 4:05- Time to pull the trigger- A high-ranking state official tellsNH Watchdog that it's "getting close to the time to pull the trigger"and remove pro-gambling Senators off the Conference Committeein order to a unanimous agreement.The Committee remains in recess as its members caucus privately.4:10- Berlin Senator John Gallus tells NH Watchdog that heexpects to remain on the Conference Committee "as long as there'shope" for the two North Country casinos he supports.
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