CONCORD – House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) released the following statement relative to the House vote on HB 1635, the second bill of the week that reopens the state budget to increase spending by using estimated budget surplus dollars. The bill passed by a vote of 173-125.
House Republican Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett)
“In just two days, the Democratically controlled House has passed two bills that spend surplus funds and reopen the budget to increase spending. This is not fiscally responsible. We had an opportunity to bolster our state rainy day fund by saving the entire 2013 surplus, something the State Treasurer agrees is the right thing to do. Yesterday, when the House passed HB 1411, almost half of those funds were spent. Now, by passing HB 1635, we are not only opening up the budget once again, we’re spending money we don’t have yet. We’re now proposing to use funds from the current budget surplus, which is only anticipated, not guaranteed. This is a disturbing trend that most New Hampshire citizens wouldn’t consider for their own household budgets.”