Latest news with #AlexisSimpson
Boston Globe
26-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
New Hampshire lawmakers agree to last-minute budget compromise with Governor Ayotte, averting veto
Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The final budget, which every Democratic lawmaker voted against, features several controversial cost-saving measures, including significant funding cuts for the University System of New Hampshire and the Department of Corrections, plus a move to charge premiums for certain Medicaid beneficiaries who earn more than the federal poverty level. Advertisement 'The budget they forced through is nothing short of catastrophic, ripping health care away from low-income families, defunding public education, slashing child protection services, and funneling millions to out-of-state casino operators and private schools,' said Representative Alexis Simpson of Exeter, the House Democratic minority leader. Advertisement Simpson said the chaos and deal-making that complicated this process demonstrated 'a crisis of leadership' and resulted in a budget that will 'forever leave a stain on this state.' Republicans, however, celebrated. House Majority Leader Jason Osborne of Auburn said 'principled leadership' had produced a budget that defends the interests of taxpayers, provides additional funding to local schools, and more. Deputy Majority Leader Joseph F. Sweeney of Salem said the budget will work for all Granite Staters. 'Whether you care about property taxes, public safety, or educational freedom, this budget reflects the priorities of New Hampshire families,' he said. 'We can all be proud of that.' While citing constrained revenue estimates as necessitating cuts from certain programs they disfavor, Republican lawmakers relied on an expected increase in gambling revenues from newly legalized slot machines to help fund expanded investments in certain programs they favor. The primary sticking point that Ayotte cited when she threatened last week to veto the Legislature's version of the budget revolved around retirement spending for certain public safety personnel whose benefits were reduced in 2011 amid an earlier budget crunch. Ayotte had campaigned on restoring much of those benefits, but some GOP lawmakers objected to the price tag. Ayotte traded barbs on the radio earlier this week with New Hampshire Senate President Sharon M. Carson, and she called for a special legislative session in case lawmakers failed to deliver a budget that met her expectations. On Wednesday evening she Advertisement 'There is no doubt in my mind that our citizens respect politicians who keep their word and fight for change,' said Michael Geha, president of the New Hampshire Police Association. 'That is what Kelly Ayotte did, and the entire state is better off and safer for it.' To adopt the late compromise, senators revived and amended But the two bills that comprise the actual budget nearly didn't make it. When state representatives first voted Thursday on House Bill 1, they rejected the measure by a single-vote margin, as members of a libertarian-minded faction within the GOP balked. Gasps filled the 400-seat chamber. As lawmakers began debating potential contingencies, such as a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating through the summer, negotiators embarked on a fresh round of targeted talks — and when the House reconsidered HB 1 a short while later, the measure was approved by a five-vote margin. One of the members who changed his mind, Republican Representative Travis Corcoran of Weare, said When state representatives approved House Bill 2, they did so by a one-vote margin, with gasps filling the chamber again as House Speaker Sherman A. Packard announced that he had cast a tie-breaking vote. Advertisement Steven Porter can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Attacks against Minnesota lawmakers prompt concern, caution in New Hampshire
Advertisement 'I would suggest you stay continuously vigilant while going about your daily routines. Your situational awareness is your best tool for your personal safety,' he wrote. 'If you see something that doesn't look or feel right, say something.' Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The New Hampshire Department of Safety said there was Representative Alexis Simpson of Exeter, the Democratic minority leader in the New Hampshire House, relayed guidance to her colleagues suggesting they 'consider keeping Advertisement Democratic US Senator Amy Klobuchar had been slated to attend a Flag Day Dinner in Manchester on Saturday, but she returned to Minnesota home after news of the attacks that claimed the life of In a joint 'Public service should never come with the threat of violence,' they said. 'We affirm our shared commitment to civility, safety, and the rule of law.' 'We know our country is divided on many issues, but in moments like these, we must remember what unites us,' they added. 'We must reject the forces of hatred, political violence, and extremism in all forms.' This article first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Steven Porter can be reached at
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Dems slam GOP over child safety bills
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Democratic leaders charged Wednesday that their Republican counterparts have pursued a coordinated, deliberate assault on working families that put children at risk. House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson of Exeter appeared at a press conference with Democratic ranking members who deal with child and family issues to condemn the House GOP agenda. 'The attacks on N.H. families and children in this legislative session have gone way too far,' Simpson said. 'We are still pleading with our Republican colleagues to protect children.' Simpson said the top priorities in her caucus were to convince lawmakers to eliminate proposed copayments under Medicaid for moderate-income families, to reject a 3% cut in the rate paid to Medicaid providers and to restore the Office of Child Advocate slated for elimination under the House-approved budget. House Democrats will ask Thursday to reconsider the House decision last week to kill a bill (SB 23) that would increase from a misdemeanor to a felony certain actions under the state's child endangerment law. The House vote to kill the bill was 190-152. 'These policies are cruel, they are short-sighted, and they put ideology ahead of medicine,' said House Deputy Democratic Leader Laura Telerski of Nashua. Reps. Alicia Gregg, D-Nashua, and Peter Petrigno, D-Milford, criticized a House panel for endorsing a parental rights bill that could prevent some minors from confidentially obtaining birth control without the consent of parents. 'This is not leadership; this is not courage, and it is certainly not protection,' Gregg said. House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said it's House Democrats who are out of the mainstream. 'The real threat to New Hampshire families comes from elected Democrats. They've repeatedly tried to hide vital information from parents, push age-inappropriate and pornographic material into public institutions, and now for the second time in one week they will try to make it a felony to take your kids to ski lessons, football practice, or even keep firearms in your own home,' Osborne said. 'Democrats will clearly never stop until they make your children wards of the state.' Other House Republicans said they will watch how Democrats vote Thursday on legislation to increase the prison term for traffickers in people under 18 (SB 262). The Senate-passed bill would lengthen the prison term from a 7- to 30-year range to at least 18 years and up to a life sentence. klandrigan@
