Hannah Waris - Keep renewable energy funding where it belongs

Among the many varied proposals included in the budget recently passed by the State House of Representatives, one that has received less media attention is an amendment that would gut the state’s renewable energy fund — transferring millions of dollars from its coffers to the state’s general fund.

The renewable energy fund, established in 2007 as part of the renewable portfolio standards law, disburses funds to both residential and commercial rebate programs. The fund has been used for widespread renewable energy projects across the state, including in schools and businesses.

These are exactly the sorts of projects that our state needs now more than ever, as the climate crisis continues to accelerate and its impacts are increasingly felt both globally and locally. As a state, we should be using every tool at our disposal to continue to build up our clean energy economy.

Funding clean energy infrastructure now makes good fiscal sense, due to the affordability of renewable energy, and will save our state money down the line. Building this infrastructure here will also help to ensure local energy independence in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire residents want affordable, clean energy in our state. State lawmakers, please don’t let New Hampshire get left behind in the transition to a clean energy economy. I urge you to keep the money in the renewable energy fund where it belongs.

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Hannah McGrath - A Budget That Fails People and the Planet

As Earth Day is here and the weather warms up, I find myself spending more time in our State Parks and thinking about ways to protect our beautiful lands. To protect the environment, we need to stop burning fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, the New Hampshire House of Representatives just passed the budget with $144 million in cuts, including funding for renewable energy. Beyond the damage to the planet, these massive cuts reach almost every service that we rely on and will lead to increased healthcare costs, property taxes, housing costs, education costs, and energy costs.

Our elected leaders slashed the renewable energy fund. It is in the public interest to encourage investments in clean energy generation throughout the State, and right now, wind and solar jobs are the fastest-growing in the country. Cutting jobs is never good, but cutting jobs that help us transition away from fossil fuels is especially bad.

We need to invest in energy sources that do not rely on fossil fuels, which pollute our environment and harm our health. We deserve a better budget that protects both people and our environment, allowing us to not only survive but thrive.

Taylor Beaven - A Short-sighted and Harmful Approach to Running the State

The current New Hampshire budget proposal is a short-sighted and harmful approach to running the state. The cuts to New Hampshire’s already expensive higher education system means we’ll see our universities begin to fade faster than they already are. If we want to support the young people of our state and set them up for a successful future, we need to ensure they have the opportunity for higher education should it align with their goals.

What is the actual goal behind these cuts? If it’s to save taxpayer money, why are we increasing the amount we’re giving to private school vouchers and opening the door for investing state funds in bitcoin, all while increasing the responsibility of property owners to fund public schools? If it’s to give people more freedom, why are there significant cuts to medicaid? Medicaid provides people with opportunities and benefits they may not otherwise have. The reduction of medicaid, without an alternative only, serves to increase the weight on communities and families in a time when both are carrying too much, and will make it harder to support people with substance use disorder.

There are problems that need fixing in New Hampshire, but this budget proposal doesn’t solve them. I hope the Senate is willing to make necessary changes to this budget so it is beneficial for the people of New Hampshire, both long and short-term. Please reach out to your representatives and ask them to vote in favor of drastic changes to this budget proposal.

Tom Trent - NH Deserves a better budget

New Hampshire deserves a better budget than what our legislators just passed in the NH House of Representatives. This budget is only going to raise costs for everyday people. There are huge cuts to nearly every vital service that people rely on, which will result in increased healthcare costs, increased property taxes, increased housing costs, increased education costs, and increased energy costs.

The impacts of this terrible budget will be felt across the state. For example, cutting funding for home energy-efficiency upgrades will increase our carbon footprint, cause wasteful energy consumption, and generally degrade property values.

I think that our state ought to protect the health and well-being of its people and its environment. We all deserve clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. By stripping vital renewable energy funds and healthcare funding from the budget, we only serve the corporations polluting our state and neglect the care that our people need to not just survive in this state, but to thrive.

Rebecca Beaulieu: NH Deserves a Better Budget

NH deserves a better budget than what our legislators just passed in the State House. This budget cuts more than $144 million; those costs will trickle down to everyday people. Cuts to nearly every vital service that people rely on will result in increased healthcare costs, increased property taxes, increased housing costs, increased education costs, and increased energy costs.

Our people and our planet have to be the priority for the government, not corporate interests or private education. The NH GOP wants to keep the high costs of school vouchers and tax cuts that only benefit the rich, decreasing the revenue we can rely on for vital services to Granite Staters. They cut the renewable energy fund, which helps communities switch to clean energy. They also cut funding for healthcare, from Medicaid to the Family Planning Program, to programs that cut prescription drug costs. Our elected officials would rather let us get sick from fossil fuels and deregulation than fund healthcare and environmental protection.