Claim: “the budget will exceed $12 billion for the first time ever”

As amended, the proposed House budget spends $5,899,427,839 in FY18 and $5,954,661,954 in FY19 in total funds for a total of $11,854,089,793 over the two year biennium. It does not exceed $12 billion.

Claim: Spending is increasing by 7.3%

When comparing the dollar amounts appropriated in HB1 & HB2 in 2015 to the same data in HB1 & HB2 as proposed by the House Finance committee, total fund spending over the 2-year biennium will increase by 4.4-4.9%.

Here’s our chart from the non-partisan Legislative Budget Assistant’s Office. They have 3 comparisons depending on which part or parts of the budget bills you are comparing. Any way you slice it, none of them are 7.3%:

Claim: “The increase in this one budget is very nearly as much as the increase in BOTH of Maggie Hassan’s budgets combined.”

If you add up the Hassan increases in 2013 and 2015 it totals $1.285 billion. $1.285 billion would equal an 11% increase, which we would oppose, because that would be unaffordable.

Claim: “We cannot let government grow at this rate. It’s bad for our economy for government to grow faster than the private sector; high spending leads to high taxes; larger government means less liberty.”

We agree. That’s why the Republicans on the House Finance committee approved a budget that is fiscally responsible, and meets the needs of our state without raising any tax or fee