Final Fiscal

The Fiscal Committee has wrapped up what is likely their last meeting of the biennium.

Legislative Budget Assistant Michael Buckley submitted his resignation after ten years as the Legislature's top number cruncher. Fiscal Chairwoman Marjorie Smith (D-Durham) said that with Buckley, the House, Senate, and their committees were "served in the most exemplary way." The next Fiscal Committee will name Buckley's replacement after it is organized in January.

Two Fiscal members also said goodbye as Representatives Ken Weyler (R-Kingston) and Peter Franklin (D-Newport) were not re-elected. Senator Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester) and Representative Neil Kurk (R-Weare) spoke on behalf of their departing colleagues.

I asked Rep. Smith about the fiscal challenges facing the next Legislature, compared to the budgets she has seen over the past 12 years.

"Anyone who knows anything about the state budget and its history expects the next biennium to be the worst we've ever seen. It continues to be my hope and certainly my intention to have everybody at the table to do the best that we can for the citizens of this state," Smith said. "This is too important to use the state budget for the purpose of gotcha politics."