15 December 2010
Greenland Grapevine
We wind into fall and with it, we close out the 2010 legislative session. Our last day of meeting as a legislative body was October 13, unless the governor calls for a special session to address a specific issue. My committee met for the last time in October to provide a recommendation for all bills we moved to study. For the summer months, in addition to studying committee bills, I have been involved in researching ways to improve government, looking for ways to make government more efficient and serve the needs of the citizens. I hope to promote and support legislation that will make New Hampshire’s future more financially secure in the coming term.
New Hampshire Retirement System
We’ve all read the latest on the NHRS not willing to release the names of the individuals and the amounts of their retirements. It irks many of us that some retirees are earning over $100,000 annually in retirement. My concern rides with our retirement system in general. We currently have over $6.5 billion in unfunded liabilities and it’s only funded at about 58%. The state system is a pension plan which currently has a defined benefit for retirees. Both the state and the employees contribute to the plan and the state guarantees a retirement amount. Because the state has not contributed the amount necessary to make the plan's holdings at least equal to its promised retiree benefits, the result is a huge unfunded liability. While we do need to live up to our obligations to current retirees, we must look forward and develop solutions now to alleviate an even larger shortfall that will have detrimental impacts on our budget. One answer would be to have a defined contribution, similar to private 401k’s.
Veto Session
The governor has vetoed four bills this year, two of which I supported. Below is a brief description of each.
HB53 This bill clarifies the definition of “public body” for the purposes of the right-to-know law. Adds language: “An individual executive or administrative officer of a political subdivision shall not constitute a public body, and staff members of an agency or department of a political subdivision meeting as a group shall not constitute a public body.” The house initially passed this on voice vote. I believe in keeping all communication open for public employees unless is it personal in nature, which I supported this measure and voted to overturn the veto.
HB1490 Establishing a citizens task force to study state revenues and expenditures and relative to the regulation of financial institutions. It initially passed the house on a voice vote, but later became part of the Committee of Conference where the title can be a bit misleading. The final version included the title, but also included:
- Increases certain bank fees.
- Allows the banking commissioner to examine certain financial institutions.
- Requires a statement be sent to the bank commissioner when new officers are sworn in.
- Requires background and criminal history records checks for persons seeking to form a trust company or other banking institution.
With all of the additional fees and regulation added, I voted to support the governor’s position.
HB 379 This bill allows a public body to go into non-public session regarding certain matters relating to collective bargaining by elected officials of a legislative body.
This particular piece of legislation was for one town, Nashua. We must be careful when we make laws to fit to one particular instance, as in this case. I was not in session on the initial vote on January 13, however, I supported the governor’s veto.
HB 1161 AN ACT repealing the requirement to obtain a license to sell in order to sell pistols or revolvers at retail. It would repeal a number of requirements needed to sell particular firearms. This was brought for by a member of each political party and passed the house on voice vote. I voted to overturn the governor’s veto. This was the only bill in which the house overrode the governor’s veto, yet the senate sustained the veto.
Joint Underwriting Association (JUA)
The ongoing story of the JUA money continues. As reported earlier this year, the JUA had $110 million of their money in a fund to cover malpractice claims. This money was put in by private entities in excess of 300 policyholders. After the legislature voted earlier this year to take this money, the supreme court ruled that the money is the JUA’s and the attempt to take it was unconstitutional. As of this writing, the Insurance Department is trying to change the regulations through the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Regulations (JLCAR) in an another attempt to take this private property. I signed a Property Protection Pledge to protect all property rights of the citizens of New Hampshire and opposing any act which would deny any citizen their property rights. My signed pledge can be found at www.pamtucker.org.
Looking Forward
The next legislative session will involve the budget. We’re looking at close to $700 million in unfunded programs. To fill this gap, it will take a serious commitment on the part of all lawmakers to balance the state budget. We cannot continue to move money from one fund to the next and claim we cut spending, nor can we borrow money to cover our shortfalls. Raising taxes or reduce spending are the only two measures the state has. We’ve experienced the former that last four years in the form of new and higher fees for the same services. Next term will require redefining the role of government and what services it needs to provide.
These past two years in Concord have been a wonderful learning experience for me. I have enjoyed learning and participating in the legislative process. It truly has been a pleasure to serve in so many ways. Thank you for your support, your comments, suggestions and input. I hope I continue to hear from you should I have the support to serve Greenland again for the next biennium.