Matthew Houde

August 2010 Legislative Update from Senator Matthew Houde, District 5

While the Legislative session has concluded – and many candidates, including myself, are gearing up for the 2010 election – I wanted to give an update that includes some good news. It can be hard to hear under the din of negativism that permeates political news this year, but NH is moving in the right direction…

The challenging economic climate has been a common theme over the past term; it impacted much of the discussion in Concord as we struggled with declining revenues and increasing need for social services. I understand that there are people and families still struggling, and I will continue to work to address their needs. We are, however, beginning to see some progress:

• Unemployment in New Hampshire dropped a full percentage point to under 6%, which is 40% better than the national average;
• New Hampshire had the 2nd fastest rate of job growth (1.43%) in the country from June 2009 to June 2010;
• As a result of making difficult budget decisions, we will close Fiscal Year 2010 with a surplus; and
• The US Senate recently passed an FMAP (Federal Medicaid Assistance Program) extension, which provides both Medicaid funding and aid to education programs. The US House is being called back, and with our economy still recovering, these funds will be crucial to balancing our budget and ensuring that our state continues to look out for our most vulnerable citizens and protect jobs.

There is good news on other fronts as well:

• New Hampshire ranks as the best place to raise children according to Kids Count;
• We are ranked as one of the most livable and healthiest states in the nation; and
• New Hampshire retained its rank as the safest state in which to live (for the 3rd year in a row).

We also accomplished a significant amount on the legislative front this year, including:

• Increasing access to health care insurance;
• Establishing a study committee to examine the reimbursement differential between oral and intravenous cancer treatments;
• Closing the loophole on predatory lending practices by extending the interest rate cap to all small loans – in addition to “pay-day” and title loan lenders; and
• Providing a measure of security for victims of domestic violence by precluding a landlord from evicting a tenant based solely on her status as a victim.

I feel honored to represent the people and priorities of Senate District 5. I know that there is more to be done, and I am eager to continue to address the needs of the state and its residents. Thank you for your support.

Regards,
Matthew Houde
NH Senate – District 5

June 2010 Legislative Update from Sen. Matthew Houde, District 5

Greetings,

 
I’ll start where we left off: closing the budget gap. Along party lines, the Legislature passed a budget gap closing measure on Wednesday that was signed by the Governor. We did this by, among other things, making more cuts to state agencies, services and programs.

In what has been an awful economic climate, each and every program experienced cuts. In fact, without consensus on revenue, many important and popular programs had to be suspended, under, or unfunded. For example, aid to hospitals for extremely costly treatments for which patients have no insurance has been suspended; aid to schools with unexpected special needs expenditures has been reduced; funding of the Judicial branch has been reduced; and the list goes on. Each was a hard decision for many of us, but one among many hard decisions right now.
 
That being said, we did try to cushion the blow on many of the cuts where we could. For example, Medicaid reimbursement rates were not reduced; education was otherwise fully funded; and, contingent on US Department of Energy approval, $3.1 million in unallocated energy stimulus funds will be directed to support important energy efficiency projects. It is the hope and expectation that this will mitigate the loss of funds for RGGI.
 

So what else did the budget do?
• The “LLC” tax was repealed
• There was no addition “downshift” to cities and towns
• Neither capital gains nor inheritance taxes were levied
• Nor was expanded gambling part of the budget fix (this was debated often in Concord this session, and I understand people come down on both sides of the issue. That being said, the vast majority of people in Senate District 5 that contacted me were opposed; having heard that, I voted against it each time)
 
It has been a challenging – and rewarding – two years. We accomplished many things:
• WARN Act to ensure employees are provided with certain safeguards in the event of employer closures
• Additional safeguards to consumers (after capping interest rates on payday and title loan lenders, we extended the cap to all small loans)
• Added protections for victims of violence (we established cold case unit; made strangulation a felony; we joined 48 other states in requiring DNA samples from all persons convicted of a felony; and precluded evictions based solely on status as a victim of domestic violence)
• Expanded health insurance options
 
More work remains to be done, and there are many important issues to be addressed. How we prioritize the services we provide; how we organize our business climate to make sure we remain attractive to new and existing businesses; and how we retain our status among the most livable and safe states among them. It has been an honor and a privilege serving District 5, and I have decided to seek re-election as I hope to continue addressing these important issues.

 

For more information about this past session or my campaign, please visit www.matthewhoude.com. Thank you for your support.
 

Regards,
Matthew Houde
NH Senate – District 5

 

 

April 2010 Legislative Update from Sen. Matthew Houde, District 5

Greetings,

 

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring we are having! In Concord, we’ve passed the “cross-over” date - the date by which the House and Senate are required to act on legislation introduced in its own chamber. Now, the Senate is focusing on bills that the House passed (and vice versa). I would like to share some of the bills I’ve introduced in the Senate this session that are now being deliberated in the House.

But before doing so, I wanted to reiterate that closing the budget gap continues to be a central focus of the Legislature. The Governor has proposed a plan for 2011, which includes cuts, savings through refinancing, and revenue in the form of an increase in the cigarette tax among other things. The Governor’s plan requires legislative approval in some areas, so the bill to which the plan has been “attached” is currently being heard in the House. The Senate will also have an opportunity to weigh in, so I welcome your thoughts and comments. I should note that the proposal of gambling as a revenue source looks unlikely. I voted against the measure, but it passed the Senate on a 14-10 vote. It will be voted on in the House shortly, and the House has been historically opposed. Coupled with the Governor’s indication that he would veto the bill, it is unlikely to succeed.

Here are some of the bills that I have introduced this year:

Healthcare

One of the two bills concerning health care coverage that I introduced this year includes a bill that would provide employees of businesses that do not currently offer health care coverage the opportunity to obtain it. I sponsored this bill at the request of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and I believe it is another way to provide access to insurance coverage for many of the working uninsured. Briefly, IRS Section 125 premium-only plans use pre-tax dollars to enable employees to purchase insurance through payroll deduction at group rates. Group rates are significantly less expensive than individual rates.

Another bill is SB 510, which will create a study committee to look at the issue of oral as opposed to IV cancer treatment parity. While oral cancer treatment has increased, barriers to its common usage remain – specifically cost. Since oral cancer treatments are typically covered under pharmacy benefits, a patient’s out-of pocket expenses are typically much higher than the costs for IV treatment, which are covered as a medical benefit under most insurance plans. There are reasons this may be the case, so a study was proposed to look into the issue. Other states have passed legislation requiring parity, with slight increases in cost. I look forward to seeing what the committee might recommend.

Consumer and other protections

SB 431 – relative to housing and tenancy protections for victims of domestic violence is currently being worked on by a sub-committee of the House Judiciary committee. Briefly, this bill would preclude landlords of certain apartment units from evicting a tenant based solely on their status of being a victim of domestic violence. This bill was modeled after federal legislation governing subsidized housing, and also provides clarification for landlords having to evict one party of two on a lease as a result of an appropriate court order.

SB 193, which concerns the maximum interest rate that can be charged on small loans, may sound familiar. Last session, the Legislature capped the interest rate on “payday” and car title loans, but this bill was necessary in order to close a potential loophole that certain lenders were trying to exploit by structuring similar loans under a different name.

SB 517-FN-A, which creates a veteran’s legal aid project, addresses the particular legal needs of veterans (such as benefits, discharge status appeals, etc.). Many veteran’s legal needs go unaddressed (or underserved) and this bill would address those needs by a collaboration between New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the Veteran’s Council. All agree with the policy behind the bill, but now we are working with the federal delegation to secure funding.

I’ll provide another update in May – or as soon as the session ends for the year.

Regards,

Matthew Houde

NH Senate – District 5

matthew.houde@leg.state.nh.us

 

 

March 2010 Legislative Update from Sen. Matthew Houde, District 5

Below please find the latest update from Concord. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss these or any other issues of interest.

Health care legislation

We have seen the challenge the federal government is having addressing health care reform; as such, the state shouldn’t sit on the sidelines or wait for progress on that front.

SB 390, a bill I sponsored with the support of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, would provide employees of businesses that do not currently offer health care coverage the opportunity to obtain it. Briefly, SB 390 would require* employers to set up a cafeteria plan, which enables employees to pick and choose from coverage options. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafeteria_plan for more information about cafeteria plans in general. With cafeteria plans, employees pay for the coverage (with pre-tax dollars) through payroll deductions – at a significantly reduced rate from the individual insurance market. The cost to the employer of setting up a plan is small; it ranges from $0 (if the employer sets it up him/herself) to $250 (if the employer hires an outside HR consultant to do so). Those costs - and more - would be recouped since the employer would be contributing less to federal employment taxes.

*The debate surrounding the bill is whether employers who do not currently provide coverage should be required to set up such plans or enabled to set up such plans. I’ll keep you posted…and please let me know if you have particular thoughts on that topic.

School building aid

State grants to communities renovating or building new schools have grown by 150 percent in the last decade, from $18.5 million in 1999 to $46.2 million in the latest budget. (In total, the State is obligated to pay just over $600 million for previously approved projects with an additional cost of $200 million for debt service.) A committee that had been examining this issue found the current situation unsustainable. The committee recommended that the Legislature temporarily suspend building aid for new projects approved after June 30, 2010 so that (1) sustainable alternatives could be discussed, and (2) pending projects could still get local approval before any suspension went into effect. Again, the committee did not propose changing current grant allocations - recognizing that communities were counting on the state’s contributions when building projects were approved. I know that school districts in Senate District 5, including Lebanon, have been seeking to get voter approval for projects with a sense of urgency in light of the proposed moratorium.

Budget

As I’ve said before, the challenging economic climate we are in creates an increased need for services (more people receiving Medicaid and unemployment benefits for example). Meanwhile, the state has generated less revenue than projected by both parties to address these needs. As a result, the Legislature (and Governor) continues to look for ways to close the gap. As was the case last year, the Legislature has heard bills proposing gambling as a solution. It remains a controversial issue, and the majority of people I have heard from in Senate District 5 do not support it. That being said, cuts alone cannot close the gap without severely hurting those in need of services; it is likely that we will need to find additional revenue as well. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions regarding this ongoing issue.

Regards,

Matthew Houde

NH Senate – District 5

matthew.houde@leg.state.nh.us

January 2010 Legislative Update from Sen. Matthew Houde, District 5

Greetings,

The second year of the legislative session is underway in Concord, and before it gets much further along I wanted to recap some of the activity and accomplishments from 2009. Last term, the Legislature heard over 1000 bills and completed the challenging task of crafting the State budget. (New Hampshire operates under a two-year budget that is written in the first year of the session). In addition to grappling with the budget, the Legislature also:

• Fully funded education, including disparity aid

• Passed education accountability legislation – the last step laid out by the NH Supreme Court as necessary to resolve years of education lawsuits

• Put federal stimulus dollars to work on improving our infrastructure and creating good jobs

• Secured an additional $21 million for unemployment benefits from the federal government

• Provided protection for working families by passing a bill that requires employers to give advance notice to employees of plant closings and mass layoffs

• Took further steps to secure the state retirement fund

• Passed marriage equality legislation

I am certain there will be a full plate of bills debated in Concord in 2010, and I will continue to share information as the session progresses. I expect the Legislature will be paying particular attention to job creation, the budget situation (making any adjustments that may be necessary based on revenue receipts), and addressing the continuing need to provide services to support those experiencing difficulties. Bottom line: there remains an increasing need for services in this challenging economic climate.

Electricity Assistance

One of the first acts of the Legislature in 2010 was to boost funding for the State’s Electric Assistance Program. By redirecting a portion of the funds ($5 million) currently directed to energy efficiency, we addressed the need of the approximately 8000 families on the waitlist. The change does not affect what anyone pays for electricity, but it was urgent to help people in need. According to PSNH, during a typical winter’s week 1,760 households are given notice that their electricity would be shut off and 31 are actually disconnected.

School Building Aid

A committee examined this issue during the past several months and issued an interim report in which it found the current situation unsustainable. State grants to communities renovating or building new schools have grown by 150 percent in the last decade, from $18.5 million in 1999 to $46.2 million in the latest budget. (In total, the State is obligated to pay just over $600 million for previously approved projects with an additional cost of $200 million for debt service.) The committee asked the Legislature to consider temporarily suspending building aid for new projects approved after June 30, 2010 so that (1) sustainable alternatives could be discussed, and (2) pending projects could still get local approval before any suspension went into effect. Again, the committee did not propose changing current grant allocations - recognizing that communities were counting on the State’s contributions when building projects were approved.

Please do not hesitate to contact me about these issues – or any other legislative matter – as the session progresses.

Regards,

Matthew Houde

NH Senate – District 5

Matthew.houde@leg.state.nh.us