CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - The Latest on the New Hampshire House’s debate on the budget (all times local):
1:15 p.m.
The House is adjourning for the day as GOP leaders scramble to come up with a budget plan that can satisfy the party’s most conservative members.
Members have until 4 p.m. Wednesday to come up with fresh amendments that can be voted on Thursday.
The chaos comes after the House rejected the budget-writing finance committee’s $11.9 billion spending plan early Wednesday.
House Speaker Shawn Jasper’s staff says leadership and budget writers will meet with rank-and-file Republicans in search of a deal.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu spoke to House Republicans during a brief caucus. He says he’s “fairly confident” the House will pass a budget.
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12:20 p.m.
House Democrats’ attempt to pass a budget with more funding for education, mental health and substance abuse programs has failed, 162 to 196.
The House is in a chaotic situation after members rejected the House Finance Committee’s $11.9 billion plan. A group of conservative Republicans broke with leadership to defeat the plan, saying it spent too much money.
Democrats brought forth their own budget, hoping to pick up moderate-leaning Republicans.
With no budget yet passed, the chamber is breaking so the two parties can caucus. Republicans will be looking for a compromise among its members.
The House must send a budget to the Senate by Thursday. As of now, they’re working off of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s $12.1 billion plan.
Long-serving members warn that the House will lose negotiating power over the budget if the chamber can’t pass its own plan.
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11 a.m.
A group of conservative Republicans have banded together with Democrats to defeat the House Finance Committee’s $11.9 billion version of the state budget.
The plan was rejected by a vote of 220 to 134, representing a significant rift within the Republican party, which controls the chamber. GOP Rep. Keith Ammon is calling the dispute a “family squabble.”
The chamber must send a budget to the Senate by Thursday. With the amendment’s defeat, the House is now working off Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s $12.1 billion budget as a base. Republicans will spend the day bringing forward amendments making a series of cuts to that plan.
Republican House leaders tried vigorously to sell their plan early Wednesday, noting it raised no taxes or fees and gave tens of millions of dollars back to local communities for road, bridge and other projects.
But opponents said the plan’s nearly 5 percent increase over the existing budget was too much.
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10 a.m.
A vigorous debate is about to begin on New Hampshire’s next state budget.
And the feud is likely to pit Republicans against other Republicans. Although the party controls the chamber, a bloc of conservatives is threatening to derail passage of the budget because they say it spends too much money.
The debate begins Wednesday and could stretch into Thursday, the final deadline for sending a budget bill to the Senate.
The plan spends $11.9 billion over two years. It does not raise any taxes or fees, but some Republicans say the spending jump - up from the current $11.3 billion plan - is too much.
Budget writers have already nixed some of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s priorities, including $18 million for full-day kindergarten programs.
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