By Terie Norelli, former Democratic Speaker of the House
As former Speaker of the House, I’ve seen firsthand how effective leadership in Concord can help Granite Staters get back on their feet during a crisis.
During the Great Recession, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee had to approve proposals made by the executive branch on how the relief funds from the Recovery Act should be used.
The committee did so with accountability, transparency, oversight, and efficiency. Now, Granite Staters are facing another crisis, and it’s clear that the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee is the most effective and fastest vehicle to get communities the relief they need.
First, the committee is experienced. The Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee is made up of legislators who are specifically tasked with working with the executive branch to approve funding proposals for the state.
In 2009, New Hampshire received $225 million to help communities create jobs and spur economic recovery following the Great Recession through the Recovery Act. When it came time to approve proposals for where those funds should go, the responsibility fell on the Fiscal Committee, and for good reason.
The committee is made up of members who are familiar with the processes and procedures. This allows the committee to quickly accept the proposed funds or make amendments to the proposals to ensure that relief is given to those in need. The Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee did this during the Great Recession, and they should be the ones to do it now, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not only is there no justification to create another system but the delays necessary to create another system and build the expertise needed would create an unconscionable obstacle.
Second, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee is bipartisan, accountable, and transparent, and the decisions they make reflect the needs of the people they represent. In 2009, the elected representatives on the Fiscal Committee looked at the proposal for how the funding from the Recovery Act should be used with their constituents in mind – the people they saw every day who were hit hard during the recession.
The Fiscal Committee offers transparency and accountability that was critical during the Great Recession, and is critical during the coronavirus crisis now.
Finally, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee is established, and it is supported by the Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant, a highly professional, non-partisan office with essential budget and audit expertise that has served both Democratic and Republican majorities.
There is there no justification for the governor to create another system when there already is a system in place that conforms with all state laws as to how money gets expended in the state.
Creating another system with the expertise necessary for it to function as effectively as the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee would create delays for Granite Staters when it comes to getting the relief they need. Sununu is squandering precious time – time many Granite Staters don’t have. During the Great Recession, and now during COVID-19, people need immediate relief.
There has never been a more important time to have an established legislative body making decisions to help Granite Staters.
If Sununu’s decision to give himself sole authority over how the funds are spent and delay the funds getting to Granite Staters wasn’t bad enough – his move is also a blatant violation of the New Hampshire Constitution.
The constitution states clearly that federal funds can only be distributed with the “prior approval of the fiscal committee,” even during states of emergency. Sununu’s attempt to use the coronavirus crisis to expand his own executive power is irresponsible and unacceptable.
The coronavirus crisis has wreaked havoc on our state in ways that we haven’t seen since the Great Recession, and in many more ways we didn’t think were possible even then. But thankfully, we have a strong, experienced, and dedicated group of legislators of both parties on the Joint Fiscal Committee who are ready to do what they were elected to do. Chris Sununu needs to let them.
InDepthNH.org takes no position on politics, but welcomes diverse ideas. email nancywestnews@gmail.com