On Wednesday the state Senate Internal Affairs Committee voted in favor of an education funding amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution.

CACR 21, passed by the New Hampshire House last March, would give the state Legislature “full power and authority and responsibility” to set standards for education and distribute funds for education.

The proposed amendment has the support of Governor John Lynch, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, and prominent Democratic Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester).

House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) opposes the amendment.  A proposal submitted by O'Brien would have given the house the "discretion" to control education funding, not the "responsibility."  O'Brien contends that the state should not have responsibility for education funding.

The proposed amendment will return to the Senate floor February 8.

CLICK HERE to read coverage from the Nashua Telegraph, or CLICK HERE to see the LFDA issue page on education funding.  In addition, CLICK HERE to read a blog from gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne in support of an amendment on education funding.

On Thursday the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a public hearing for SB 286, a bill that would create a prescription drug monitoring program for New Hampshire.

A prescription drug monitoring program would create a central database that tracks prescriptions for frequently abused medications.  Doctors and Law Enforcement could check the database to detect "doctor shoppers," individuals who visit multiple doctors to get multiple pain medication prescriptions.

Prescription drug abuse is a significant problem in the Granite State.  According to a report by NHPR, New Hampshire "now ranks 5th in the nation for percentage of residents who abuse medications such as percocet, vicodin, and oxycodone."

Opponents of a prescription drug monitoring program worry about privacy violations.  Many opponents also see prescription drug abuse as problem of personal choice, not a problem the government should intervene in.

CLICK HERE to read a report from NHPR, or CLICK HERE to see the LFDA issue page on prescription drug abuse.

On Tuesday Governor John Lynch delivered his last State of the State address. 

During the address Governor Lynch urged the Legislature to provide funds for the widening of Interstate 93, approve a state health insurance exchange, and pass a constitutional amendment on funding for education.

CLICK HERE to read a summary by NHPR, or CLICK HERE to see the address on WMUR.com.

More than twenty private prison companies have sent teams to New Hampshire to evaluate the state's Request for Proposals (RPF) for a private prison.

The state's RPF invites proposals for replacing either the State Prison for Men in Concord or the women's prison in Goffstown.

According to the Union Leader, "Human rights groups have criticized the private prison industry, saying the profit motive compromises public safety and leads to prisoner mistreatment."

Supporters of a private prison in New Hampshire argue that without privatizing a prison, the state will not have the funds to ease prisoner overcrowding and improve outdated incarceration facilities. 

CLICK HERE to read coverage from the Union Leader, or CLICK HERE to see the LFDA issue page on prison reform.

Two developers are moving forward with their plans to build casinos in Hudson and Salem.  The plans would need to be approved by the state government before construction began.

The push to expand gambling in New Hampshire was threatened last year when the Massachusetts legislature authorized the construction of three casinos in the Bay State.  Gambling detractors argue that casinos in New Hampshire could not compete with Massachusetts casinos for travelers from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York.

Nonetheless, the owners of Green Meadow Golf Club and developers from Millennium Gaming in Las Vegas announced they are moving forward with proposals to build destination-style casinos in Hudson and Salem, respectively. 

New Hampshire state Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester), cosponsor of a bill to approve the two casinos, said the casinos could provide New Hampshire with $200 million in annual revenue.


CLICK HERE to read coverage from the Nashua Telegraph, or CLICK HERE to see the LFDA issue page on expanded gambling.

The New Hampshire House is considering HB1658, a bill to block additional assistance for mothers who have new children while receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

TANF, commonly referred to as "welfare," provides families an average increase in benefits of $72.50 a month for the birth of a child. 

Rep. Neal Kurk (R-Weare), the prime sponsor of the bill, defended the bill to the House Finance Committee Thursday.  "I think it is bad public policy for the state to pay for things we do not want to happen," he said.

MaryLou Beaver, the chair of the Family Assistance Advisory Council, countered, “This bill punishes children for the choices their parents make.”

CLICK HERE to read a report from the Union Leader.