They Said It!
There was plenty to say this week about RGGI, federal health care reform, private prisons, and payday loans …
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Closing the JUA Cookie Jar
A new proposal has emerged to settle much (but far from all) of the legal and political controversy over New Hampshire’s unique medical malpractice insurance fund. Primarily, it would settle the matter of who has a right to the extra money in the fund.
Senate Bill 170 first forbids the state from claiming any surplus funds from the Joint Underwriting Association — either through legislation or taxation. It also orders that any “excess surplus” funds be distributed to policyholders. That excess measures at least $110 million, according to the bill. And that $110 million is at the core of the two-year controversy.
A House committee will hold a public hearing on SB 170 Tuesday.
A Long Docket: District Court Construction Sees Delays
What happens when two dilapidated courthouses are closed down in New Hampshire, and the money for a new facility can’t be squeezed out of the state budget?
As folks in the Seacoast are learning, you wait.
The long-anticipated Hampton-Exeter District court construction may get put off for another four years. The deadline to choose a permanent location for the combined district court already passed on the first of this year. Senate Bill 36 would extend it further to Jan. 1, 2015.
Senate Votes: Part 2
We continue highlighting some of the 34 bills and amendments scheduled for a session of the full Senate today.
The proposals include eliminating the state motor vehicle registration surcharge, repealing boating speed limits on Lake Winnipesaukee, and establishing a managed care platform for the state’s Medicaid program.
Betting on Gambling
Another casino proposal will take the stage for a public hearing on Monday, when the N.H. Senate returns to work after their own February break.
Last month, we tracked a different gambling proposal in the House that would create casinos with video poker, slots and table games. After a public hearing Feb. 22, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to retain the bill in committee. The same fate is unlikely for a much more expansive effort currently underway in the Senate.
Casino Hearing Today
A scaled-down bipartisan proposal to revive gambling will have its first public hearing today. It comes a year after a bill to allow expanded gaming in New Hampshire passed the Senate but died in the House.
House Bill 593, sponsored by Rep. Edmond Gionet (R-Lincoln) would establish two casinos — “at least 100 miles apart” — offering video poker, slots and table games. The House Ways and Means Committee will consider how the bill proposes permitting the casinos, plus how it would distribute the state’s proceeds to offset the state education property tax and contribute to the highway fund.
No Easy Solution for Women’s Prison
New Hampshire knows it needs a new women’s prison to replace its current, outdated facility in Goffstown. Yet, in very lean budget times, doing what is needed is rarely easy. In June, the Legislature created a study committee to make recommendations to lawmakers and policy makers for a future women’s prison and how to best utilize the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester.
