Chris Sununu proposed in his biennial budget. The budget package also included cuts in business tax rates and removed a change in apportionment of the Business Profits Tax that was approved two years ago. Another provision in the budget would return fines to businesses who did not follow public health guidelines for the pandemic. Most of the budget proposals from the House Finance Committee were approved down party lines. The committee will meet Wednesday to vote on the final amendments the Legislative Budget Assistant and Office of Legislative Services craft based on decisions made Monday.
The LBA will determine final budget figures as well. Mary Jane Wallner, D-Concord. Jess Edwards, R-Auburn, the Chair of Division III which reviews the health and human services budget, said the department has hundreds of vacancies it cannot fill as it competes with counties and the private sector for a limited number of health care workers.
He said they should look at the number of people the department employed in March , which was 2, employees, compared to the 3, approved in the amendment. He said with 3, positions for the department, and current vacancies, the agency could fill 88 percent of the vacancies without hitting the cap.
Edwards said the division believes the priority should be hands on employees who work directly with patients, not managers or specialists.
You cannot ask the taxpayers of the state to pay more coming out of the pandemic with businesses and homes trying to reestablish themselves. Long time committee member Sharon Nordgren, D-Hanover, noted the 96 positions at the Sununu Center should not be included in the reduced authorized position because the language on closing the facility requires the state to retain or retrain those workers.
