Gov. Hassan had no choice in her decision to veto HB 1637, and critics (Monitor, June 20) would be advised to delve more deeply into what can happen from the time a bill is introduced in the NH House of Representatives to the time it becomes law….or doesn’t.
HB 1637 passed by a majority vote in the House Education Committee, was specific to the town of Croyden. It was amended in Senate Education to include state accountability and assessment standards, which the House Committee rejected and requested a Committee of Conference.
Both the House and Senate Education Committees receded from their original positions in Committee of Conference and the bill that emerged was totally different from earlier versions, much more comprehensive in scope and if enacted would apply to any school district that does not have public schools for every grade level.
HB 1637 as amended would allow parents in any such school district to use public tax dollars to send their children to any private school including those of a religious denomination. The final version provided no accountability or assessment standards and according to the governor’s veto statement was in clear violation of the NH Constitution (Part First, Article 6 and Part Second, article 83) which all legislators, including senators, take an oath to uphold when sworn into office.
HB 1637 in its final transformation, was a voucher bill with the potential to expose local school districts to costly litigation, in short, a taxpayer’s nightmare.
The governor’s veto was justified.
Rep. Mary Stuart Gile
Concord
Gile serves on the Education Committee. She represents House District 27.