SB 284 - Oral Health Access
Oral health is an integral part of children's health, but too many children still don't have access to regular oral health services, whether due to distance to a dentist, cost, transportation barriers or other barriers to care. While urban areas of NH have sufficient, and often surplus dental access, rural areas of our state are undeserved by dental professionals.
SB 284 is the culmination of an Oral Health work-group comprised of children's advocates, oral health advocates, dentists, hygienists and others concerned about access to oral health care for all of NH's children. SB 284, which is co-sponsored by 9 senators, is a pilot project, which does not expend state money, and looks to try a new method for combating access issues to oral healthcare for our children. We need your help to ensure that this method is given a chance to determine whether it resolves the access to oral healthcare in the undeserved areas of NH. The bill hearing is 2/16 at 1 PM. Please reach out to the following senators on the Health and Human Services Committee before the hearing.
Jeb Bradley - Chairman - Wolfeboro - jeb.bradley@leg.state.nh.us (271-8472) Tom DeBlois - Vice Chair Manchester - tom.deblois@leg.state.nh.us (271-4151)
Molly Kelly - Keene - molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us (271-3207)
Andy Sanborn - Henniker - andy.sanborn@leg.state.nh.us (271-3067)
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CACR 6
CACR 6 would require a 3/5 vote of the legislature to approve any increase in taxes or fees. While this may sound appealing to some, it in fact could make the cuts of this past budget cycle appear small in comparison. As costs of services, such as healthcare, continue to rise our ability to provide revenue to keep pace with needed infrastructure spending will be hampered, and potentially paralyzed.In addition, Senate President Bragdon will try to amend the bill. His amendment would create a tax cap. This tax cap would limit increases in spending to the cost of living, and would require a 3/5 legislative vote to override. This wording of this amendment could create a situation whereby an influx in federal dollars in New Hampshire, could necessitate a cut in NH spending overall, so that we did not exceed the cost of living increase clause. This alert is not about increasing taxes or even favoring one tax over an other. This alert is about asking the NH Legislature to do their job, each budget cycle, and balance the needs of NH with our ability to pay. We are asking that the legislature not abdicate its responsibility by adopting these types of tax cap schemes that will tie our hands for generations to come.
Please read the following information and contact Senators to express your concern about this legislation. Ask them to vote NO on the bill and the amendment.
NH CAN Partners NH Fiscal Policy Institute Granite State Priorities and Child and Family Services are leading this Priority and have additional information on their websites.Senators To Contact Senator Bob Odell (Lempster)
(603)271-4063 email: bob.odell@leg.state.nh.us
Senator John Gallus (Berlin)
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