by Chuck Douglas
Dunbarton’s J.R. Hoell is out of tune with his own Republican Party. After compromise (a dirty word for Hoell) 93.2% of House Republicans voted for the budget Governor Sununu signed into law. But 14 “Freedom” Caucus members organized by Hoell voted to kill the budget that has funding for our schools, bridges and highways. Gridlock is not the way to move our state forward.
WHAT J.R. HOELL VOTED AGAINST
Infrastructure Funding from 2017 surplus: $30 million in local highway aid; $6.8 million for municipal bridge aid. This is money to help Bow. Hoell voted no.
School Building Aid from 2017 surplus: Establishes the Public School Infrastructure Revitalization Trust Fund at an estimated 48.5 million. This is money that could help Bow. Hoell voted no.
Municipal aid: Distribute $137.6 million to cities and towns like Bow and Dunbarton from Meals and Rooms Tax receipts. Hoell voted no.
Public Safety: Provides funding for five new state trooper positions in 2018, with authority to hire five more in 2019. Hoell voted no.
Corrections: Provides funding for 55 new positions at the new women’s prison in Concord, now expected to open in early 2018. Hoell voted no.
Transportation: Fully funds highway block grants to municipalities at approximately $790 million over the next two years and provides $87.7 million in gas tax revenue to the Highway and Bridge Betterment Program. This is money to help Bow. Hoell voted no.
Child Protection: Provides funding for 20 additional child protective service workers in the Division for Children, Youth and Families; establishes an associate commissioner position with responsibility for overseeing DCYF. Hoell voted no.
Domestic violence: Allocates $500,000 per year for sexual and domestic violence prevention programs to be divided among the rape and domestic violence crisis centers operated by the N.H. Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Hoell voted no.
Mental Health: Adds $22.6 million for services, including benefits for children with several emotional disturbances, 20 new in-patient beds; 60 new transitional beds and a new mobile crisis team. Hoell voted no.
Drug treatment: Increases funding for the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery from 1.7 percent to 3.4 percent of prior year’s profits from the Liquor Commission. Hoell voted no.
Development Services: Appropriates $510 million for services to developmentally disabled children and adults. Hoell voted no.