NH Republicans Voted to Raise our Tuition

Recently, the New Hampshire Statehouse passed its proposed, two-year biennium budget. The budget bill, proposed in opposition to the Governors budget, was a hodge-podge of proposed cuts or spending reductions to the various state agencies and departments. Republicans in the Statehouse have been undergoing an identity crisis- an idealogical battle between the more conservative Republicans and more moderate Republicans who understand that the State Government has an important role to play. Still, not many Republicans in the NH Statehouse are in favor of increased funding for things like the University System, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Transportation. It seems the State budget is one thing the Republicans managed to coalesce around, or at least pile all of their cuts into one proposal. All of this goes back to general political philosophy and the perception of what government is meant to do: be a strong force for the average, working citizen, or to pursue a smaller, de-regulated government that generally increases the profitability of larger business and wealthier individuals. Although the House budget passed, which would effectively shift university and healthcare costs from the state, to students and the elderly, the budget still has to pass through the Senate, which will likely alter it.