Senate budget action includes YDC Settlement Fund, landfill moratorium
The Senate Finance Committee on Monday approved changes to the Youth Development Center Settlement Fund and a moratorium on new landfills.
A new provision in the Senate budget proposal would make the administrator of the YDC Settlement Fund a political appointee subject to a vote of the Executive Council to serve at the 'pleasure of the governor.'
The current administrator, John Broderick, was appointed by the state Supreme Court with the support of Attorney General John Formella and lawyers representing an overwhelming majority of alleged victims of sexual or physical abuse at the the state's youth detention centers.
Broderick is a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court and has come under criticism for his handling of settlement payments.
Chuck Miles is a YDC abuse survivor who is on the board of YDC Victims, an advocacy group.
"The Senate's proposal to remove any semblance of impartiality surrounding the YDC Settlement Fund administrator is an affront to YDC victims who have voluntarily paused their constitutional rights to a court trial with the understanding that the settlement fund would be a fair, impartial process," Miles said in a statement.
"Adopting this measure combined with a dramatic underfunding in the first year of the budget is an abandonment of the settlement fund by the state and a slap in the face for all victims who were promised justice. We encourage the Legislature to change or remove this unfair measure and stand by their promises before the budget is finalized."
Landfills
The Senate budget panel also approved a scaled-down version of the House-passed moratorium on the construction of new landfills.
Sen. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, worked out the Senate position that would reduce the moratorium from three years to one and significantly scale back the powers of a new site evaluation commission to review landfill permit applications.
The Senate language also would give preference to expansions of existing landfills over new ones.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte had called for a one-year moratorium.
klandrigan@unionleader.com
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