The issue of when lawmakers can tap into dedicated funds will be before senators on Thursday, Feb. 5. The Senate’s finance committee will hold a hearing on SB 13, which would require approval from two-thirds of the general court to spend money from a dedicated fund for reasons “contrary to its statutory purpose.” The bill’s lead sponsor is Senate president Chuck Morse (R-Salem), though it has some bipartisan support — Sen. Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth) is the lone Democrat among the bill’s nine other co-sponsors. Dedicated funds will continue to be a hot topic this session as Gov. Maggie Hassan and lawmakers discuss how to close a projected $30 million shortfall in the state budget.
Also on Feb. 5, the House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee will hold an executive session on HB 208, which would remove the state from the regional greenhouse gas initiative (RGGI), a carbon cap-and-trade program. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Richard Barry (R-Merrimack).
On Feb. 9, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on HB 222, Rep. James Coffey’s (R-New Ipswich) bill that would exempt homeowners who are at least 80 years old and have lived in their home for more than five years from the statewide education tax. The committee will also hold a hearing on HB 386, a Republican-backed measure that would reduce the state’s business profits tax rate from 8.5 to 7 percent
The minimum wage is up for debate on Thursday, Feb. 10, when lawmakers will look at three bills related to the minimum wage. HB 392 would set the minimum wage at $8.25 per hour and tie increases to the cost of living index; and HB 163 calls for a $16-per-hour minimum wage for the state. Meanwhile, HB 370 would let counties and towns set their own minimum wage rates.
Also this week: on Feb. 5, a House committee will look at HB 448, which would establish Feb. 6 as Ronald Regan Day. And, on Feb. 10, the Senate’s education committee will look at SB 157, which would make passing a civics course a requirement for high-school graduates, and SB 195, a bill that would require schools to teach students cursive handwriting and memorize multiplication tables.