NH CARES
Network for Responsible Budgeting
CARES NETWORK
UPDATE
Today (5/22/07) the Senate Ways and Means Committee cut $112.5 million
in General Funds from FY 08 +09 revenues in the House Budget. The biggest
part of this was their cut of $79m when they voted to not adopt any of
the House's $.17 per pack increase in the cigarette tax and to stay with
the $.28 increase in the Governor's budget. The other major reduction was
$37m from lower estimates from Business Taxes (BPT and BET).
THESE CUTS COULD RESULT in an ESTIMATED $56m CUT in the HOUSE DHHS
BUDGET (At least $120m Total with federal and other match)
At this stage, if they follow their plan to fit their budget to these revenues,
then the SENATE will be LOOKING to CUT about $28m PER YEAR in State General
Funds from the HOUSE DHHS BUDGET. This is based on DHHS having about 50%
of General Funds, excluding the education grants.
This is bad news for the DHHS safety net and the House Budget which CARES
supports as a minimum responsible budget. The Senate Finance Committee
plans to work for the rest of the week to make the cuts and finalize them
on Friday - and we will send them along as they are made.
