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NH House voted 212 to 151 to table bill 1664 |
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As of Wed, March 24, NH House has voted 212 to 151 to table House Bill 1664, the current budget-cut bill.
For the moment, this means that the House will send no bill to make significant cuts in the budget over to the Senate before Crossover on Mar 25. They will take more time.
Tabling the budget-cutting bill will give the House more time to consider what Department Heads propose for cuts. That could be good for our cause.
The legislature still has to cut the state budget, but that will happen now in April, possibly by May 6 or 13 (when the House and Senate finish work and everything goes to Conference Committee).
The Senate will not publish their calendar until Friday, March 26. Next week we will start to get an idea when Senate Finance will meet (now, without specific budget cuts from the House) and when any Senate hearings will be.
This is not over, and today’s vote should not be described as a “win,” because cuts will still come and we don’t know in what form.
When the House makes decisions about cuts and has a new budget proposal (or they could resurrect this one), they will take it “off the table” and pass it. Other procedures will happen, and we are told that, “It will take a simple majority to take it off the table but 2/3 vote to waive the rules to act on the bill.”
Please hold off and do NOT contact NH Senators yet, until we know what proposals are being considered, both from the House and the Senate’s own bill.
Thank you for your efforts and contacts, which have been crucial and effective!
From the Board of Directors, NH Citizens for the Arts
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