The title for this comes from Tom Fahey, reporting on the various acronyms being bandied about the state these days.
There’s FRM, CL&M, the SLC, the BSR, the LGC, and the JUA, not to mention OBD and the AG, the repeal of the LLC and potential passage of a key SB — that’s Senate Bill 450. Of course, it may end up butting heads with HB 1513, but that’s mere speculation.
The Executive Council will be busy with two reports from the AG’s office, one about alleged interference in a Liquor Commission investigation of a Keene bar, and the now infamous FRM investigation. The second has implications for the upcoming elections. Republican primary candidate for US Senate Kelly Ayotte served as Attorney General during much of the time that the alleged Ponzi scheme was operating.
House and Senate budget writers are working to close a larger than expected gap in the state budget. The Bush induced economic crisis has quite a bit of fall-out, as would be expected. Many revenues are down because of it.
Kevin Landrigan has a list of “winners” and “losers” in the budget battle. He reports that Governor Lynch got many of the cuts he wanted, but not all.
Rep. Marjorie Smith, D-Durham, was true to her vow as chairman of the House Finance Committee that this was going to be a balance of spending cuts and tax increases.
The State Senate is also working on its version. There will most likely be a looong committee of conference to hammer out a compromise. House Republicans will probably not participate because they are slated to vote “no”, no matter what. According to Fahey, Republican Leader Sherm Packard says their proposed budget, with $77 million worth of cuts, was rejected. He says raising revenue is not an option. Uh–that’s how the national economy collapsed, but no matter.
Shira Schoenberg reports that a proposal for PSNH to use $5 million from a state renewable energy fund to build a solar energy system in Manchester is back as an amendment after being defeated in the House. Environmental groups are against it, according to Schoenberg.
Landrigan had this to say about the CD-02 Democratic Primary:
All the “votes” aren’t in but it sure looks like Democratic congressional candidate Ann McLane Kuster has won the first primary over 2nd District rival and 2002 nominee Katrina Swett of Bow.
Hopkinton lawyer Kuster released an impressive list of 1,000 supporters to her campaign. The grassroots support has doubled since the first of the year.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, and I’m including all women who nurture, mentor and otherwise help the next generation.
