CACR-18

We are still settling in to our new home. Sorry for not updating the blog regularly. I hope to update the Blog regularly from here on out as time permits while tending to our toddler. I will be trying to back date some information that I think is important for reference. We will also be investigating school spending and reporting that information here.

The following press release was sent out by Tammy Simmons of the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition.

CACR18 & HB927 is like déjà vu all over again –
only worse


For Immediate Release
May 30, 2007


Concord, NH – While equating Tuesday’s results in the House Finance Committee and the Senate Education Committee to Black Tuesday might be a bit of a stretch, taxpayers and parents in New Hampshire found the bad situation they were in only getting worse. They were already losing local control of their schools to bureaucrats in Concord while being faced with the financial burden of paying a yet undetermined amount to cover the cost of this ‘adequacy’, now they’re losing more.

Senator Iris Estabrook sponsored an amendment to HB927 that among other things changed the previous mandate of half day kindergarten to full day. “While smaller class size and full day kindergarten are admirable goals, these financial decisions are best left to the local communities who can best determine their children’s needs and priorities,” commented Tammy Simmons, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition. “Once again, Senator Estabrook’s amendment has taken us one step closer to passage of HB927 with no regard to what these unfunded mandates will cost the taxpayers of New Hampshire,” said Mike Biundo, NHAC Chairman.

Even the senator herself commented, “We have no idea of any of the costing.” The fiscal note attached to HB927 states that the Department of Education has determined this bill will have no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue and expenditures. “How any rational individual can say there will be no fiscal impact from a bill that among other things mandates kindergarten is beyond me,” said Simmons. “Senator Estabrook already admitted she was against Governor Lynch’s constitutional amendment, CACR18, and only voted for it to please her colleagues. We can only hope she reverses her views on HB927 as well,” Simmons concluded.

The amendment to CACR18 not only continues the legislature’s propensity to abdicate their constitutional authority to the unelected Supreme Court justices, it strips away all local control of schools from parents and local officials. In addition, there is nothing in this amended version that will deter further lawsuits or halt the continued inference and meddlesome tendencies on the part of the court.

NHAC urges the members of the legislature to read the constitution and live up the oath they took to uphold it by standing up to the court and rejecting HB927 and CACR18.

For more information, contact Tammy Simmons, Executive Director, at 235-9998 or visit our website at www.theNHadvantage.com.