AASHTO Journal, 19 June 2015
New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan used a June 16 “State of the State” breakfast speech to challenge state lawmakers to pass a budget that takes care of what she described as “critical economic priorities” including transportation infrastructure and other policy areas. Later, she threatened to veto the emerging budget.
Hassan told the Nashua Chamber of Commerce she had serious concerns about a Senate budget proposal her office said was “unbalanced” with “expensive tax cuts primarily benefiting large out-of-state corporations while under-funding key priorities including education, health care, public safety and roads and bridges.”
The governor said that as the Legislature’s Committee of Conference on the budget met that same week, “I remain committed to working with Republican leadership to reach a compromise, fiscally responsible budget that moves New Hampshire forward.”
She said the opposition budget does not pay for its proposed tax cuts for out-of-state businesses, “creating a $90 million hole in our budget at the expense of the priorities that are essential for our families, small businesses and economy.”
On June 18, Hassan said of the emerging GOP budget: “I will veto it if it comes to my desk as it is.”
Hassan said she was willing to work with Republican legislative leaders on a proposal to cut the business taxes, but only if those reductions are paid for within this budget and do not come at the expense of the priorities she cited including transportation.
