NEWS FROM CONCORD

July 4, 2008
Democrats fixed House, N.H.'s woes Democrats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives are not, as our Republican colleagues would have you believe, the party of tax, spend and borrow. In fact, Democrats in the House are taking care of issues Republicans ignored for a number of years, including the retirement system, the highway plan, even the leaky roof at the Statehouse. When Democrats came into the majority two years ago, for the first time in 84 years, we found trash cans on top of desks in a section of the third floor of the Statehouse, put there to catch water dripping from the ceiling.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080704/OPINION/807040377/-1/OPINION02

AP: NH House sends global warming initiative to governor (5/22/08)

CONCORD — New Hampshire is poised to become the 10th state to participate in a regional effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The House voted Wednesday to send Gov. John Lynch legislation to implement the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative known as RGGI, but to revisit it if Congress enacts a federal program. The House next considers changes made to the proposal, especially on how much money would go into a fund to promote energy efficiency.

The bill adds New Hampshire to the other New England states, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland in a market-based, "cap and trade" program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the region's power plants.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS/80521017/-1/NEWS19&sfad=1

AP: NH House sends payday loan interest rate cap to governor (5/7/08)

CONCORD, N.H.—New Hampshire is poised to cap payday lending, a move the industry says will put it out of business in the state.

The House voted Wednesday to send a bill to Gov. John Lynch that sets a 36 percent interest rate cap on all small loans. It is aimed primarily at loans backed by an anticipated paycheck or by car titles. Lynch has said he'll sign it. The cap would take effect Jan. 1.

Supporters said they wanted to prevent people from being victimized by extremely high interest rates.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/05/07/nh_house_sends_payday_loan_interest_rate_cap_to_governor/

Appliance efficiency standard passes NH House -- AP, 5/1/08

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8256664&nav=menu183_5_3_3

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire's House has voted in favor of a bill that sets mandatory minimum efficiency standards on several products, which can provide energy savings, lower electricity and natural gas bills, and reduce air emissions from electric power plants.

The bill originated in the Senate and was passed in the House yesterday.

Environment New Hampshire says adoption of these efficiency standards will, by 2020, save consumers over $37 million; save over 16,000 Megawatt hours of electricity annually; and save over 100,000 million Btus of natural gas annually.

AP: NH governor signs insurance bill for small businesses (5/19/08)
CONCORD, N.H. - Small businesses in New Hampshire are on way to having more affordable health insurance.
Gov. John Lynch has signed into law the HealthFirst initiative. It will require major insurance carriers to offer a standard wellness plan for businesses with up to 50 employees. Premium costs will be controlled by focusing on prevention, managing chronic conditions and promoting best practices.

"Small businesses are the backbone of the state's economy and a critical link in our health care system," said Lynch. "Too many small businesses are facing decisions about severely limiting coverage or dropping coverage altogether. That is a decision no small business should be faced with and one that could be devastating to workers."

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/05/19/ap5026261.html

Concord Monitor: Coos County tax credit approved (3/20/08)
Struggling Coos County would get some help from the state under a tax credit passed by the House yesterday. The credit, one of Gov. John Lynch's signature issues this year, would go to employers who create jobs that pay more than minimum wage.
Read More: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS01/803200413

AP: State lawmakers endorse global warming initiative
CONCORD (AP) — New Hampshire's House is endorsing a 10-state regional effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions to preserve the state's climate and way of life.

Read more: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS0201/164282983

Portsmouth Herald: NH House makes positive gains for all (7/8/07)
By Speaker Terie Norelli
As we end the legislative year, it's a good time to reflect on the many important issues the New Hampshire House of Representatives has addressed, and groundbreaking work in five critical areas sets apart this Legislature from its predecessors. It has made monumental gains in promoting economic development, protecting the environment, strengthening health care, improving education, and ensuring open government.
Read more: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070708/OPINION/707080335/-1/OPINION05

Golden Dome News: Norelli code: Never demonize a rival: For House speaker, it’s about policy, not attacks (7/1/07)
The Statehouse was virtually deserted Thursday after the final House session the night before to pass the budget, a definition of an adequate education, and dozens of lesser bills. But House Speaker Terie Norelli, D-Portsmouth, was working another 15-hour day to make sure all the paperwork got signed for Gov. John Lynch to sign. She tried giving up back-to-back-to-back 15-hour days for three days in mid-March. It didn't work.
Her only concession to the dress-down atmosphere was a sleeveless shift instead of a suit. Her office was impeccably neat as always. She trusts people. She picks them carefully. She delegates. They report back. She wants them to keep their promises the way she does. In her opinion, they delivered this term.
Read More: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/NEWS/707010361/-1/NEWS
Concord Monitor Editorial: Historic session didn’t crumble Granite State (7/5/07)
Democrats ran the state this legislative session for the first time in more than a century. The sky didn't fall. Migrating birds returned to the state to raise their families.
New Hampshire remains the sole state in the nation never to have enacted a broad-based sales or income tax. Its motto is still "Live Free or Die." Yet some longstanding barriers to modernity did come down.
New Hampshire will no longer be the only state that doesn't offer public kindergarten to every child. The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program was finally given what promises to be a reliable, annual source of funding.
Smoking in bars and restaurants was banned. And with very little ruckus, compared with what Vermont went through seven years ago, civil unions for gay couples became legal.
Read More: http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/REPOSITORY/707050328/1017/OPINION
AP: House OKs minimum wage hike (4/5/07)
CONCORD — The House voted Wednesday to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 over two years.
Read More: http://archive.seacoastonline.com/news/04052007/nhnews-ph-nh-min.wage.html
Concord Monitor: NH House passes civil unions (4/5/07)
In what lawmakers called a victory for fairness and equality, the House voted by a nearly 2-to-1 margin yesterday to endorse creating civil unions for same-sex couples.
Read More: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/REPOSITORY/704050342
AP: Construction debris burning to permanently end (5/14/07)
A ban on burning demolition debris in the state will soon become permanent.
The Senate approved the House-passed ban last week, and Gov. John Lynch said he would sign it.
"The burning of toxic construction and demolition debris poses an unnecessary and unacceptable danger to the health of New Hampshire's people and the health of our environment," Lynch said.
Read more: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/REPOSITORY/705140309