CONCORD, N.H. — Governor Kelly A. Ayotte is making a big push promoting her plan to roll back New Hampshire’s bail reform law.
So far this week she has penned an op-ed calling the status quo a “failed social experiment” and announced that a majority of the state’s mayors and all 10 county sheriffs support her objective, to prevent people from being released back into the community too quickly and easily after an arrest.
“Shutting this revolving door for criminals will help keep our state the safest in the nation,” said Ayotte, a Republican who campaigned on promises to support law enforcement and combat crime.
The proposal is such a significant part of Ayotte’s agenda that it is listed at the very top of House Bill 2, the “trailer” legislation to her budget plan — but it’s far from the only noteworthy item in HB 2, which currently weighs in at roughly 40,000 words and lists 102 proposed policy changes.
Here are five noteworthy items, aside from bail reform, that the budget’s trailer bill sets out to accomplish:
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- Expand eligibility for the state’s voucher-like education freedom account program. Currently, a student whose family earns up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level can use state funds toward education expenses other than traditional K-12 public schooling. Ayotte’s proposal would maintain that and also extend eligibility to any student, regardless of income, who was enrolled full-time in a public school for the entire preceding academic year.
- Prohibit in-school cellphone use by students. The legislation would direct school boards to develop schoolwide policies that bar students from using their cellphones during the school day, with some exceptions. It also would provide for a grant program to help boards implement such policies.
- Legalize video slots and pricier scratch-offs. Under the trailer bill, casinos that have been approved for historic horse racing machines would be eligible for licenses to operate video lottery terminals, which produce results determined randomly rather than based on past horse races. The legislation would also increase the maximum price for lottery tickets from $30 to $50.
- Charge premiums for some Granite Staters on Medicaid. The legislation would direct state health officials to begin the process of seeking permission to institute premiums for certain Medicaid beneficiaries, including some children and adults who earn more than the federal poverty level. Even with the premiums, New Hampshire’s program will continue to be relatively generous compared to other states, Ayotte said.
- Overhaul the retirement system for certain public employees. The legislation would modify how pension benefits are calculated to deliver what Ayotte’s office has called “a long-term solution” to bolster efforts to recruit and retain first responders. Disputes over these benefits stem from 2011 state budget cuts.
The trailer bill also includes a proposed moratorium on permit approvals for major solid waste facilities, and it proposes to give the executive branch authority to withhold records from the public that are “‘under seal’ or confidential in a court file.”
The House is expected to finish its work on the two-year budget by April 10, then the Senate is expected to do likewise by June 5. The budget would take effect July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
This story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.