This week, the Chamber traveled to Concord to testify in support of SB 366, the legislation expanding casino gaming in New Hampshire. The Chamber has historically supported expanded gaming in recent years because there is a steep price for doing nothing.  As a border community, there is no question about the financial impact our region will see when Massachusetts opens multiple casino locations right in our backyard. The Chamber supports a non-tax funding source to support the critical needs of the state and our own region.  It is crucial that state revenue-sharing monies be restored in order to help address growing property tax pressure.  And our recently commissioned independent UNH statewide survey confirmed something that we have known for some time:  the citizens of New Hampshire support expanded gaming. 

The legislation creates much needed non-tax revenue and jobs in our state.  SB 366 allows for two high-end casinos that will bring in $120 million to the State in licensing fees and are expected to produce over $125 million in annual revenue.  Nashua alone will receive $2.4 million per year in reinstated revenue-sharing funds targeted for cities and towns.  If a casino is located in a community abutting Nashua (i.e. Hudson), we will receive even more revenue, as will Hillsborough County.  Passage of this bill will create jobs, both in construction and in the casino operations. The economic impact to our region will also be felt in the real estate market, our tourism-related businesses and retail stores, and in increased state tax revenues, without the need for a sales tax, income tax or any new business taxes. 

The hearing was notable in that multiple Senators on both sides of the aisle, including Senate President Chuck Morse, appeared in person to testify in support of SB 366 (and it is not common that a Senate President testifies on bills in front of House Committees).  Senator Morse said that the House and Senate have been able to work cooperatively this entire biennium to find solutions to very important complicated issues, and this issue should be no exception. A multitude of House members, particularly House Finance Committee members, also testified in support, articulating the dire need for revenue to fund the next state budget. Not one legislator testified in opposition. 

So we hope that the House will look carefully at this bill and get this passed.

Also this week, the Chamber registered its support for SB 327, the legislation to extend the ERZ tax credit prospective repeal from July 1, 2015 to July 1, 2020.  That bill is now in the House Ways & Means Committee. Senator Bette Lasky, Senator Peggy Gilmour and Rep. Kathleen Stroud of Merrimack are co-sponsors of this legislation.

We were disappointed on Tuesday when the House Labor Committee voted to amend SB 295, regarding employer credit checks. The bill was opposed by the Chamber because it generally prohibits most employers from doing credit checks of employees, but the House Committee voted to remove an encouraging provision passed by the Senate that would allow all employers to conduct credit checks on new employees if the employer reasonably believes that this is necessary for the business.  It is likely that the full House will go along with the recommendation of the House Labor Committee.  If that does happen, we hope that the Senate will stand firm when the amended bill gets back over to the Senate.