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Senate Finance Committee approves $15.6B state budget plan

The New Hampshire Senate passed a $15.9 billion budget proposal for the next two years, which includes a significant increase in state worker pay raises from 2% to 10% over the biennium, and allocates $169 million for Medicaid rate increases. The budget also features a reduction in the Rooms and Meals Tax from 9% to 8.5%, and introduces a new $250 credit for each dependent under 18 to help offset the state's Interest and Dividends Tax. Additionally, it maintains funding for full-day kindergarten and the state's education trust fund, while rejecting the House's proposed expansion of the Education Freedom Accounts program. The Senate's version also includes $20 million for affordable housing and $10 million for emergency shelter beds, and it passed with a vote of 24-0.

Read the Full WMUR Article at:
[ https://www.wmur.com/article/senate-new-hampshire-budget-proposal-6032025/64959839 ]