Rochester Taxpayers Editorial
The ‘Democrat legislature gone wild’ is at it again, passing irresponsible and unconstitutional laws.
SB 530 is a bill that mandates kindergarten for all communities, including the 12 school districts which have voted NOT to offer public kindergarten. This bill is unconstitutional because it creates a new state mandate without fully funding it, a violation of Part I, Art. 28-a of our state constitution. It is very dangerous in that it also repeals current state law that prohibits school boards from spending any money beyond that authorized by the voters (the “no means no” statutes, RSA 32:8 and 32:11). So much for local control…
SB 539 is an education funding plan that adds $128 million dollars to create a nearly one BILLION dollar plan over the next biennium. This is in a year when we’re facing a $200 million deficit and the bill contains no means of raising the necessary funds. This bill is paving the way for new broad based taxes, most likely an income tax. The arbitrary costing formula relies on the number of “free and reduced lunch” students as well artificially inflated teacher and staff salaries (apparently an “adequate education” requires that all staff, including janitors, have at least three years of experience). The bill re-establishes 37 donor towns. The problem is, it too violates the NH state constitution’s ban on unfunded mandates (Part I, Art. 28-a).
How much more fiscally irresponsible, arbitrary, irrational, and unconstitutional can this legislature become? Perhaps we will have to rely on Governor Lynch to STOP this nonsense.
Write to the Governor here: John Lynch