Do Casino and Gas Tax Bills Have a Chance?

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. House scrutiny of a bill to legalize casino gambling in New Hampshire ramps up. The bill to hike the state gas tax by 12 cents gets its close-up before Senate Ways & Means. And the Senate holds public hearings on the budget. OK everybody, take out your No. 2 pencils...

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The House is in session Wednesday, May 8. The Senate is not in session this week, but its committees are busy with numerous challenges, starting with the $11 billion two-year state budget being crafted.

Public Hearing on NH Budget. Senate Finance has two public hearing sessions Thursday on the proposed $11 billion state budget and trailer bill for 2014-2015. The first is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the second is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This will occur in Representatives Hall.

Budget crunching. Monday, May 6, starts off with revenue presentations to a joint meeting of the Senate Ways & Means and Finance committees in Statehouse Room 103. First up is the Department of Health and Human Services, followed by the Department of Revenue Administration.

The Senate Finance Committee will hear a budget presentation from the Department of Health and Human Services (Office of Human Services) starting at 1 p.m. Monday in Statehouse Room 103.

Proposed gas tax hike. The bill to increase the gas tax is before a Senate Ways & Means committee hearing Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Statehouse Room 103. This is House Bill 617. It would increase the state gas tax (aka the "road toll") by 12 cents over three years, with the intent the revenue goes to fund local and state transportation projects. It would increase the rate for diesel by 2 cents per year until it reached 30 cents per gallon on July 1, 2018. The House passed the bill on March 27.

Casino bill review continues. Subcommittees of the Joint Commission of Finance and Ways and Means have these meetings scheduled this week on Senate Bill 152:

• 10:30 a.m. Tuesday – "Community Impact" work session in LOB Room 204.
• 10:30 a.m. Tuesday – "Regulations" work session in LOB Rooms 210-211.
• 10:30 a.m. Tuesday – "Revenue" work session in LOB Room 202.
• 1 p.m. Wednesday (or when House session ends) – "Community Impact" work session in LOB Room 204.
• 1 p.m. Thursday – full Joint Committee of Finance and Ways and Means work session in LOB Rooms 210-211.

Another casino lunch. Fix It Now NH has invited lawmakers to a luncheon Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., to examine SB 152. County leaders from Washington County (PA), home to The Meadow Racetrack & Casino, will describe various impacts of casino gambling. It's scheduled to be held at the Holiday Inn.

Toll Talk, Part II. The House Public Works and Highway Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. for Senate Bill 3, which would eliminate the northbound and southbound ramp tolls for Exit 12 on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Merrimack. (At 1:15 p.m., the committee will take up Senate Bill 19, which also has an amended provision to remove the Exit 12 ramp tolls in Merrimack.)

Rising Seas lift all boats, but spell trouble for coastal communities. The House, during its session Wednesday, will consider Senate Bill 163, which would establish a commission to recommend legislation "to prepare for projected sea level rise and other coastal and coastal watershed hazards." The bill comes to the full House with the favorable recommendation of the House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee. Still, eight committee members opposed it? Interesting.

Something to celebrate. The NH Preservation Alliance has its 2013 Annual Achievement Awards celebration May 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the Concord City Auditorium.

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