The narrowly divided New Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly to accept the Senate’s $15.2 billion state budget, an unusual move that avoided a drawn-out fight, NH Journal reported. Gov. Chris Sununu was expected to sign the plan.
The speed of the vote caught State House observers off guard, according to NH Journal.
State House watchers were stunned Thursday when the narrowly-divided House of Representatives swiftly and overwhelmingly voted to accept the $15.2 billion state budget sent over by the Senate, an unusual move that prevents a protracted battle and gives both sides political wins to take home to voters.
NH Journal
The path to the vote had looked rockier just days earlier, the report noted, with talk of a fight over the budget and the speakership.
Just a week ago, the halls of the House were swirling with rumors of a plan by some in the Democratic caucus to blow up the budget, perhaps even force Republican House Speaker Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry) out of his job.
NH Journal
In the end, the margins on the two budget bills were lopsided.
House Bill 1 passed on a 351-25 vote. House Bill 2 passed on a 326-53 vote.
NH Journal
The Speaker marked the moment after the vote.
“I believe we kind of just made history,” Packard said after the vote. “This chamber deserves a lot of congratulations.”
NH Journal
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne described the plan that passed. As quoted by Jason Osborne:
We delivered a fiscally responsible spending plan that meets the needs of our state and addresses many of our top priorities without raising taxes,
NH Journal
Osborne also pointed to structural reforms in the package, per NH Journal.
We made reforms to the emergency powers statute, included a sunset for the Granite Advantage Healthcare Program, and fully repealed our state income tax at the end of the biennium.
NH Journal
Read the full story at NH Journal.
