Category Archives: NH Senate

NH Senate Play Parliamentary Politics With Your Paycheck

  By New Hampshire Labor News | June 7, 2013 - 8:39 am | , ,
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NH House

Last week we reported on how the NH House killed two bills (SB 100, SB 153) that were directly targeted at the NH Public Workers.   In a sneaky parliamentary trick the Senate added both these bills as amendments.

“The Senate voted on 13-11 party line votes to add to these measures bills that would let employers issue payroll cards – not a paper check – to their employees, and to require all union bargaining contracts to get a vote of approval from the Legislative Fiscal Committee.”
(Kevin Landrigan — Nashua Telegraph)

SB 100 is a bill that would remove the option for workers to receive a paper paycheck and in turn would deliver your paycheck on a rechargeable debit card.  The problem with this is that the debit card has fees associated with it. This means that you are going to have to pay to collect your own money.

“SB 100 would have been purposefully harmful to employees, creating additional fees and expenses for them to collect and use their paycheck, and specifically avoiding sharing that information upfront”
(Zandra Rice-Hawkins — Granite State Progress)

Last week the House killed SB 100 in a 253-93 vote.  The language of SB 100 has been added “to a House bill barring employers from using credit histories in hiring decisions”

SB 153 is the even more contentious anti-union legislation.  This bill would allow the budget oversight committee to either approve or deny any union contract with state employees.  This was an attempt by the Senate President to insert the legislature into the collective bargaining process.

State Rep. Linda DiSilvestro (D-Manchester) said, “the proposed committee will politicize the negotiation process.”

Sb 153 was also killed by the House in a 191-135 vote. SB 153 was added “to a House bill barring businesses from demanding employees’ social media account passwords”

Neither of these bills have any support in the House. However the GOP led Senate believe these bills are important enough to resurrect them and attach them to a bill that must pass.  This is dirty politics.  This attempt to pass legislation that has already been killed by the House means it has no chance of actually sticking to the budget after the bill is reviewed by the ‘committee of conference’.

This partisan attack on workers by the Senate has not gone unnoticed and will not be tolerated.

Brace Yourself This May Hurt: NH Senate Moved Forward With Job Killing Budget

  By Matt Murray | June 6, 2013 - 6:00 pm | , , , ,
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NH House-2

Yesterday labor leaders from throughout New Hampshire stood in the Legislative Office Building urging NH Senators to restore the proposed cuts to the NH Budget.

Well as you have probably already heard the NH Senate passed their budget with millions in cuts.   Yesterday at the press conference NH AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie stated:

“They are attacking New Hampshire middle class families by cutting jobs, cutting critical services and following an extreme agenda that comes from the same out of state special interests that fueled last session’s tea party behavior.”

Diana Lacey, President of the NH State Employees Association (SEIU 1984) really hit home in her explanation of these cuts.

“The Senate budget makes across-the-board cuts at DHHS and directs the Governor to reduce personnel costs by $50 million over the biennium. This means the elimination of as many as 700 jobs.  These workers provide critical services, pay taxes and contribute to the state’s economy. They are real people that will go on the unemployment line and go from self-sustaining to potentially needing public assistance instead of providing vital services for the state.”

If you remember that the last budget under Bill O’Brien cost New Hampshire over 1000 jobs. This budget would add another 700 to that.

Labor is not the only ones who are loosing as a result of this budget vote.  The Senate voted along party lines to reject the Medicaid expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act.  Their vote rejects the $2.5 Billion over the next seven years, to cover the cost of expanding the Medicaid program.  So much for the state helping those needy families or the new jobs that would be created.

One other area that was noted at yesterdays press conference was the issue of Voter ID.  You may not think this is a budget issue but it is.  The State of New Hampshire will have to come up with over $11 million dollars to cover the costs of implementing phase two of the Voter ID law as passed last term.  Jessica Clark from America Votes told the crowd:

“They are willing to cut jobs and harm critical programs in our state, but waste taxpayer money on needless Voter ID legislation, which is project to cost up to $11 million over the next four years. Senate Republicans need to turn away from their misguided budget priorities that will harm New Hampshire families and voters.”

After today’s vote Governor Hassan had these stern words for the Senate:

“While there are clearly areas of agreement around critical priorities such as higher education, mental health funding, and economic development, the budget passed by the Senate still falls short in a number of areas that are imperative to moving our state forward. The across-the-board cuts to Health and Human Services and employees will impact critical services and cause hundreds of layoffs, and the rejection of $2.5 billion in federal funds for Medicaid expansion undermines efforts to strengthen our economy and improve the health and financial wellbeing of New Hampshire’s working families.

“As the process moves forward, legislators will need to take a bipartisan approach, set ideology aside, and listen to the people of New Hampshire in order to reach a final a balanced budget that reinvests in the priorities needed to build a more innovative economic future.”

The Senate Democratic Leader, Sylvia Larsen released this statement after the vote:

“This budget will cost hundreds of jobs and eliminate critical services for Granite Staters by sweeping, across-the-board cuts. The Senate Republican Budget forces the Health and Human Services Commissioner to cut millions of dollars threatening  funding for the developmental disability waitlist, the CHINS program, mental health care, community health centers, and family planning.”

“Although, I have serious concerns about this budget, I hope that by the end of the budget committee of conference, we in New Hampshire can rise above ideology and move forward with common sense solutions that meet the needs of our citizens.”

The budget process is far from over.  Now that the Senate passed their version of the budget a ‘committee of conference’ will be created to work out the differences between the two budgets.  This is where you can expect some serious fireworks and horse trading. The committee should be working to strengthen NH, not increasing our unemployment.

NH Senate Says NO to Medicaid Expansion

  By Arnie Alpert | June 6, 2013 - 2:07 pm | , ,
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NH Senate Medicaid Vote 6-6-13 Inzane Times

 

NH Senate Medicaid Vote 6-6-13 Inzane TimesVoting strictly along party lines, the GOP controlled New Hampshire Senate today voted 13 to 11 to reject the expansion of Medicaid under the terms of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).  The vote sets up a conflict in a House-Senate Committee of Conference that could start as early as next wSenate Budget Vote 6-6-13 030eek.   

Expanded Medicaid would provide insurance coverage to an estimated 58,000 New Hampshire residents, paid for 100% by federal dollars for the first three years.  

The Senate also approved a budget that makes $50 million in unspecified personnel cuts that could lead to hundreds of layoffs.   This, too, could be altered by the conference committee.  

On their way into today’s session, the Senators had to wade through dozens of pro-worker and pro-Medicaid activists to get into their chamber.  NH Voices for Health, which brings togSenate Budget Vote 6-6-13 001ether health care providers and advocates, has been working hard to rally support for expanded Medicaid.  The State Employees  Association will lead efforts to stop the personnel cuts, which would not only hurt workers and their families but also reduce the quality of services offered to state residents.

The effort will escalate over the next few weeks as Representatives and Senators continue the budget debate, perhaps right up to the June 30 end of the fiscal year.   

 

Republished from InZane Times by Arnie Alpert

What Will The NH Senate Do About Medicaid Expansion???

  By Matt Murray | June 5, 2013 - 12:05 pm | , , ,
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Medicaid Expanison Rally

Medicaid Expanison RallyNew Hampshire is at what is unfortunately shaping up to be an ideological crossroad. Do we as a state expand Medicaid or not.

Both the left and the right agree that expanding Medicaid would help tens of thousands of Granite Staters.  They quibble over the number of people who are uninsured versus the number of under-insured who would leave private insurance for Medicaid.  Obviously having Medicaid (which has no cost to the resident) is better that paying a premium for private health insurance.  Then again you have to be living at the poverty level already to qualify for Medicaid.

There are other disagreements in this debate.  One of the main reasons that people are opposed to expanding Medicaid is because they do not pay healthcare providers as much as private insurance.  Hospitals say that the difference between Medicaid payments and private insurance is a loss. Yet even with those losses the NH Hospital Association is pushing for the expansion.  Why, because a lower payment for care, is better than no payment for care.

The Affordable Care Act marketplaces (or exchanges) do not provide subsidies to everyone.  Medicaid is also a very restrictive program when it comes to who qualifies. Expanding Medicaid will bring the two programs closer together.  These are the very poor. These are the people who could not afford to buy healthcare even if they had the option.  They are children, pregnant women,  seniors, and people with disabilities.

Here is where the ideology comes into play.  The Medicaid expansion is part of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).  With the expansion comes large amounts of federal funding. In fact the federal government has agreed in the law to pay 100% of the  costs for expanding Medicaid for three years. Then they will pay 90% from then on.

The opponents of the Medicaid expansion want you to believe that the federal government will not uphold their end of the deal.  They say that they will not pay the 100% as they say they would.  Here is the deal, this is a federal law.  There is no question about whether or not they are going to pay for it, they have to.  The only way out of it, is to change the law. After 37 attempts to repeal it, the law is not going away.

Every day there is news about how the new ACA marketplaces are going to save middle to low-income families vast amounts of money in their healthcare costs.

Opposing the expansion means that NH will lose out on $250-$300 million dollars in federal funding. Once again the opponents are attempting to detour the expansion by using the federal deficit. They are trying to say that expanding Medicaid is the reason we have a deficit problem.  This is an ideological fight that neither side can win.  The right wants austere cuts to social programs to reduce the budget, while the left wants to cut defense spending and re-invest in America.  The opponents of the ACA seem to be overlooking that even before the ACA is fully implemented it is already saving the federal government hundreds of millions dollars.

Here is the best part of the Medicaid expansion. If for some reason the federal government does not fund the program at 100% like they say, NH can immediately go back to the previous levels.  They can back out of the expansion at any time. The US Supreme Court already ruled that Medicaid expansion was not mandatory under the ACA. The means the expansion is voluntary, and NH can walk away at any if the program fails for any reason.

I implore the NH Senate to listen to the people of New Hampshire who need your help.  Listen to the over 25,000 low wage workers who would benefit from this expansion. They need you to vote to expand Medicaid.  Listen to the hospitals who in favor of the expansion, because some reimbursement is better than no reimbursement.  Do not leave 22,000 needy families without healthcare another day.

Sign The Petition To The NH Senate To Pass HB595 (VoterID) As It Was Introduced

  By New Hampshire Labor News | June 4, 2013 - 9:46 am | , ,
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vote

The NH Senate voted to restrict the number of allowable ID in HB 595 (Voter ID).  The Senate also made some amendments to the bill forcing a ‘committee of conference’ with the NH House.

They want to force polling places to take a picture of you with a digital camera if you do not have an ID. These cameras and training will cost the state nearly $11 million of dollars.   The Senate is cutting $20 million from Health and Human Services yet they want to spent $11 million dollars to buy cameras for every polling place in New Hampshire? What are their priorities if helping the low-income families looses to digital cameras to solve a Voter fraud problem that does not exist.

We need the Senate to come to their senses and compromise with the House to pass HB595 as it was introduced.

My good friend Jess has started a petition online to encourage all of these Senators to change their minds and compromise with the House on HB595.

Sign the petition here

The petition reads:
By Jessica Clark

I am writing today to ask you to go to a committee of conference and support HB 595 as introduced.

Making it harder to vote by restricting the number of IDs that were acceptable just one year ago isn’t fair and doesn’t make any sense. I ask you to restore all of the IDs that were acceptable in 2012 to get a ballot.

I also don’t want a mugshot of me or my neighbors if I only have one of the very few IDs that are acceptable. It will only cause long lines and cost us millions of dollars.

You are fighting for an unnecessary law that will cost New Hampshire $11 million in the short term, while at the same time you are drastically cutting essential health services for the elderly and disabled. You have misplaced priorities. You should be working to help Granite Staters instead of attacking voting rights in our state. The right to vote is important – no one should take away my right to vote.

ATTN Amherst, Merrimack, Milford, and Wilton Residents We Need Your Help To Expand Medicaid

  By New Hampshire Labor News | June 1, 2013 - 7:23 am | , , ,
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35 inch (support medicaid expansion)

Please join NHCA for a constituent meeting with State Senate President Peter Bragdon about Medicaid expansion. Despite attacks, Medicaid could still be expanded in New Hampshire as the Affordable Care Act intended, but your voice is needed to ensure this happens!

Who: Constituents from Amherst, Merrimack, Milford, and Wilton.

Where: 2nd floor, Wadleigh Memorial Library, 49 Nashua Street, Milford

When: Monday, June 3rd. We’ll meet at 3pm for a brief overview of Medicaid expansion and to plan the meeting. NHCA staff member Jillian will be available to answer any questions you may have. Senator Bragdon will be joining us at 4pm.

RSVP: Please be sure to RSVP so you can receive materials to read over ahead of time if you like. Email jdubois@nhcitizensalliance.org or call 603-724-4047.

Senator Bragdon, as part of the Senate Finance Committee, has already voted to pull Medicaid expansion from the state budget, sacrificing billions in federal funds and hundreds of jobs. This is in addition, of course, to forcing an estimated 22,300 hardworking Granite Staters to go uninsured when they could be covered by Medicaid.

Together, let’s tell Senator Bragdon: Please don’t allow New Hampshire taxpayers’ hard-earned money be sent to other states while our residents miss out on the security and peace of mind that comes with having health coverage.

Senator Bragdon claims that accepting federal funds is a “gamble”, even though he knows D.C. has always kept its Medicaid promises, even providing additional help during recessions. Even if federal law was changed to provide less than 90% of funding in the future, the Supreme Court has already ruled that Medicaid expansion is optional, so New Hampshire could change its mind later.

NHCA would like to thank members Steve Morgan and Matt Murray of NH Labor News for helping to get this meeting set up!

Can’t make it? Be sure to sign the petition or attend Tuesday’s press conference.

Could New Hampshire Be Setting Up A Failure Of The ACA Marketplace

  By Matt Murray | May 30, 2013 - 12:36 pm | , ,
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obamacare Approved

If you ask anyone they will probably agree that competition drives down consumer costs. Companies routinely lower their prices in an effort to have the lowest price.  Walmart is famous for this.  If you look at their prices, everything ends in $.96.  This allows them to market their lower price, even it is only 3 cents.

When the Affordable Care Act was passed one of the main goals was to create a marketplace for consumers to purchase health insurance.  These exchanges were intended to spur direct competition and lower the price.  This has worked in states like California where initial prices came in hundreds of dollars lower than predicted.

This is not the case for New Hampshire.  As of right now there is only one company on the new marketplace, Anthem BCBS.  How can you have competition if there is only one company.  This is not really surprising since Anthem owns about 65% of the market share of NH already.

Even supporters of the ACA are not thrilled by this news.

“Conceptually, I think that by providing health care to the citizens of the United States, we make ourselves a more employable workforce and a healthier community,” says Baetz, (a NH small business owner) who provides coverage to the five employees at his company. “If we’re all focused on that, it should really reduce our long-term costs.”

Baetz now serves on the advisory council to the New Hampshire Health Exchange and describes himself as “disappointed” with the news that Granite State residents may only have one option on the new marketplace.

“There has been a lot of optimism that some of the benefits of the health-care law would mean broader choice and reduced costs,” Baetz says. “Now, it seems like those options may not be available to us.”

This does not mean the end for the NH Healthcare Marketplace.  There are still options.  NH could be one of the first states to take part in the multi-state exchange.  This would allow NH residents to purchase policies from VT or ME for example.  Some states will have this option in 2014, but all will be required to have a multi-state option by 2017.

“The Affordable Care Act requires the federal government to contract with two private health insurers to create “multi-state plans” that will, by 2017, compete in all 50 states.”

My only question is now that the NH Senate has released all control over the marketplace does that increase our chances of being one of the first states to have a multi-state exchange?

Governor Hassan Takes Aim At Senate Over Healthcare and Budget

  By New Hampshire Labor News | May 28, 2013 - 6:00 pm | ,
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NHhouse

Governor Hassan came out harshly today against the Senate Republicans. Today they voted to kill HB 668 that would allow NH to maintain control over the health care regulations.

“Once again, Senate Republicans have decided to put ideology ahead of the interests of the people, businesses and families of New Hampshire, and have given away control of our health insurance market to the federal government. HB 668 ensures that New Hampshire will continue to control our own health care and prevents the federal government from taking control of all health insurance products in New Hampshire for individuals and small employers.

“By killing HB 668, the Senate would make it more difficult to protect Granite State consumers, cause unnecessary confusion for all those looking to sell and purchase insurance, and potentially increase health insurance costs for families, businesses and individuals. I urge the full Senate to reject the committee’s recommendation and take action to maintain state-level control of New Hampshire’s health insurance market.”

Even the NH Insurance Department urged the Senate to approve HB 668.  Read the letter sent to the Senate Commerce Committee. Irony of this vote is that many of these Republicans are talking about the government taking control of their healthcare, yet now they are deferring the federal government to regulate the new system.

Governor Hassan also commented on the Senate Finance Committee’s budget.

“In order to support business growth and create good jobs that can sustain a strong middle class, we must invest in the priorities that will build the foundation for a more innovative economic future.

“While the Senate Finance Committee has begun to recognize in its revenue estimates New Hampshire’s strengthening economy and has made some progress on restoring priorities, they have unfortunately chosen the fiscally irresponsible approach of sweeping, across-the-board cuts instead of being forthright about the programs they would eliminate. These deep cuts to Health and Human Services and employees will cost hundreds of jobs and put at risk critical areas, including mental health care, funding the waitlist for people with developmental disabilities, the CHINS program, and the ability to deliver basic services.

“Additionally, the Committee’s rejection of $2.5 billion from the federal government to expand health coverage to thousands of working families is a shortsighted decision that will undermine the health of our communities and hurt our economy.

“As the process moves forward, I will continue to work with members of both parties in both chambers to make improvements and finalize a balanced budget that encourages job creation, spurs innovative economic growth, and protects the health and well-being of New Hampshire’s families and communities.”

In the last budget it was Bill O’Brien who lead the charge for cuts to the budget.  What people seemed to overlook is that the Senate accepted many of these cuts.  Now the Senate is pushing for more cuts that will lead to more jobs lost.  This is not the direction we should be moving in.

Help Fight Back! Medicaid Expansion Pulled from NH Budget

  By New Hampshire Labor News | May 24, 2013 - 7:16 pm | , , , ,
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35 inch (support medicaid expansion)

35 inch (support medicaid expansion)On Wednesday, State Senators Bragdon, Forrester, Morse, and Odell voted to pull Medicaid expansion from the state budget, sacrificing billions in federal dollars and hundreds of jobs. But the fight’s not over yet! Please read below about upcoming events where you can help fight back. Even if you can’t make it, please sign the petition.

It appears that these Senators are willing to leave 22,300 more hardworking Granite Staters uninsured for the sake of party politics. They claim that accepting the federal funds is a “gamble” even though they know D.C. has always kept its Medicaid promises, especially during recessions. They also know that New Hampshire can decide to opt-out of Medicaid expansion later, unlike the programs they keep falsely comparing it to. Denying or even delaying Medicaid expansion will hurt the health of Granite Staters.

Rally

protestersNH Citizens Alliance is gathering Medicaid expansion supporters for a rally outside Senate President Bragdon’s $100-per-person fundraiser. Senator Bragdon’s vote on this is especially troublesome because he wouldn’t make time to meet with constituents to discuss Medicaid expansion before his vote, despite multiple requests. There will be plenty of signs, but feel free to bring your own! Be sure to invite your Facebook friends.

Where: Sidewalk outside O Steak and Seafood, 11 South Main St., Concord

When: Wednesday, May 29, 4-5pm

RSVP: Email Jillian at jdubois@nhcitizensalliance.org, call 603-724-4047, or say you’ll come on Facebook.

Phone Banks

phonePlease sign up for a phone bank! You’ll be able to grab a slice of pizza and call fellow progressives in target State Senate districts and patch them through to their Senators to ask them to support Medicaid expansion. Stop in for an hour or stay for the evening.

Where: 3rd floor, 4 Park Street, Concord

When: Wednesday, May 29, 5:15-8:30pm (right after the rally) and Wednesday, June 5, 5-8:30pm

RSVP: Email Jillian at jdubois@nhcitizensalliance.org, call 603-724-4047, or RSVP on Facebook for May 29 or June 5.

Press Conference

microphonesPlease come to the press conference on Medicaid expansion hosted by NH Voices for Health. Hear stories from people who will be impacted by Medicaid expansion’s benefits for NH’s families, communities, and businesses, and show you care! Check out the Facebook event for more information.

Where: Legislative Office Building (LOB), 33 North State Street, Concord

When: Tuesday, June 4, 11am

Hope to see you next week! Don’t forget to sign the petition!

Senator Bradley, Let’s See How You Would Do On $290 A Week

  By New Hampshire Labor News | May 23, 2013 - 5:25 pm | , , ,
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JEB Thumbnail

Minimum Wage Vs RentNew Hampshire does not have the highest cost of living in the 50 United States; however, our cost of living is not cheap by any means.  For those who work in low wage jobs, the cost of living adds immense pain on their wallets.

Right now, New Hampshire uses the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. That equates to roughly $290 dollars a week and $15,080 per year before taxes.  Not exactly “serious coin”.

For those who live in New Hampshire and work in these minimum wage jobs, housing is their biggest expense.  At minimum wage, a worker would have to work a whopping 106 hours per week just to afford a two bedroom apartment.  Even if two people are living together they would still need to have two jobs each just to afford their apartment.

JEB ThumbnailThat is why I am absolutely disgusted at the NH Senators — particularly Senator Jeb Bradley — who voted to kill the bill that would have restored the NH minimum wage law.

Repealing the state minimum wage law was a personal priority of former House Speaker Bill O’Brien — and he succeeded in getting rid of it, back in 2011.  Without a state-level law, the NH legislature does not have the power to raise the minimum wage to something that would be more in line with our cost of living.

First, we have to overcome the fact that some NH Senators think that we do not even need a minimum wage law.  “The free market will set the wages,” they protest.  That is crap and everyone knows it.

Today, Granite State Progress released video of Senator Jeb Bradley dodging the question as to whether or not we need a minimum wage in NH — or even at the federal level.  (For those who do not know, Bradley is considering a run at US Senate.)  Bradley conveniently believes the issue of NH’s minimum wage should be decided by the US Congress, “which we have no control over”.

Now Senator Bradley lives in a very different world than minimum wage workers.  He sits on millions of dollars in investments from businesses he has sold in the past.

I think Senator Bradley and any of the other opponents to raising the New Hampshire minimum wage law should see what it is really like for these families.  And yes, I meant to say families because “more than a third (35.8 percent) are married, and over a quarter (28.0 percent) are parents“. I challenge Senator Jeb Bradley and any other State Senator who opposed the NH minimum wage law to live on minimum wage for two weeks. That is all: just two weeks.

Let’s see how well you and your families can survive on $290 a week.

***In case you missed our previous posts about minimum wage:

Proof That Raising The Minimum Wage Would Not Put Mom and Pop Stores Out Of Business.

Less Than 25% of People On Minimum Wage Are Under 20 Years Old

66% of Low Wage Workers Work In Large Companies Who Are Making Tons Of Money!

What Can We Do To Help 50,000 Granite Staters At Once?