Hearing, vote set on Lynch aid proposal

Failed private negotiations have given way to political gamesmanship in the effort to put a constitutional amendment on state school aid on New Hampshire's 2012 ballot.

On Tuesday, a public hearing will be held on Democratic Gov. John Lynch's proposed amendment, but Lynch won't testify. Neither will House Democratic Leader Terie Norelli or Republican Senate President Peter Bragdon.

Norelli says the hearing is a joke scheduled by GOP House Speaker Bill O'Brien during Thanksgiving week and just ahead of a Nov. 30 vote that she, Lynch and others argue is premature.

O'Brien says Lynch was invited to speak to the House on Nov. 30 about his proposal and declined so the hearing gives him another opportunity rather than "abdicate his responsibility on an issue he's pledged to fix."

Lynch, Bragdon and O'Brien had been trying to agree on wording for a constitutional change that would allow the state to target aid to the neediest schools - before closed-door efforts dissolved last month into public political posturing.

The House and Senate have passed proposed amendments to each other, but both postponed final votes on the other chamber's measure. Then last month without fanfare, Lynch emailed his proposed language to the media without giving advance warning to O'Brien or Bragdon.

O'Brien responded by scheduling a rare session in November to vote on Lynch's amendment and in an equally unusual move, invited Lynch to speak to the House about it. Lynch declined, arguing the issue could be dealt with in January when the Legislature convenes the 2012 session.

Norelli also declined O'Brien's suggestion she co-sponsor Lynch's amendment with him so it could be voted on. She criticized O'Brien for scheduling a vote without a hearing.

O'Brien responded by scheduling a hearing and emailing reporters that he had invited Lynch, Bragdon and Norelli to testify.

None got the invitations, however.

"When we take them to task these days, they at least try to make it look like they're agreeing," said Norelli.

Republicans don't need Lynch to pass an amendment. They have a 294-104 margin over Democrats in the House, where they need 239 votes for passage and 19-5 edge in the Senate, where 15 votes are necessary. But O'Brien and Bragdon believe they need the popular Democrat's support to win voter approval at the ballot box.

Lynch's amendment states that the Legislature shall have the authority and responsibility to define reasonable school education standards, hold them accountable for meeting the standards and mitigate local disparities in their financial ability to provide an adequate education. It also would give lawmakers full discretion to determine aid amounts and its distribution.

The state Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in 1997 requiring New Hampshire to provide all public school children with an adequate education. After that ruling, the state began providing a base amount per pupil to all communities, funded by state taxes and a new state property tax.