In an interview with Chris Ryan, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu gives his support to the $13.5 billion budget which the New Hampshire Senate is considering for a vote; discusses the practice of non-budgetary items being added to the budget; answers whether he would veto the budget over a restriction on late term abortions; and talks about the upcoming appearance in New Hampshire of former Vice President Mike Pence.
Governor Sununu believes that the $13.5 billion budget which is under consideration by the Senate is a good budget and should be passed. It contains requests by the Governor for hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts and for hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax relief which will go back to the cities and towns of New Hampshire.
The budget is such an important topic in legislatures that frequently a non-budgetary item called a “rider” will be added to the budget bill. The rider might be to close a road, end late term abortions, or to oppose what is considered by many to be a “Divisive Concept” like critical race theory.
Governor Sununu insists that the Divisive Concept Bill-House Bill 544 is gone and is not part of the budget vote. The Governor believed that the wording was too vague and that it limited free speech. Currently, the bill is being rewritten and will focus on strengthening the state’s anti-discrimination legislation.
“We’ll take a look at what the final piece has; and, whatever ends up on my desk, we’ll assess it as a whole when it gets here.”
The current budget contains a provision that a doctor who performs an abortion, except under emergency conditions, would be committing a felony. Governor Sununu says that he is against late term abortions and would not veto the budget bill if it contained this anti-abortion provision.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is making an appearance at the Hillsborough County Lincoln-Reagan Dinner tonight. Governor Sununu refers to Mike Pence as an old friend, but the Governor refused to speculate about the political future of the former Vice President Pence.
“He’s a very, very good man. His heart is always in the right place. I think that he has done a great job, holding the line, being true to himself and true to this country. As far as his political future, I don’t know.”