House Speaker opens door to Income Tax

In an editorial board interview with the Portsmouth Herald, House Speaker Terie Norelli says that she's open to an income tax to fix New Hampshire's budget problems.

Looking toward the future, she said, "I'm open minded to taking a look at revenue structure in the state," including an income tax, she told the Herald editorial board on Wednesday. An economic summit will be held in Concord this fall "to try to figure out whether the way we do things in New Hampshire is working" — and all revenue sources would be on the table.

Norelli also defends the $11.5 billion state budget passed in June, which included 38 tax and fee increases and boosted total state spending by over $1 billion. She also expects the state to win its appeal in the Joint Underwriting Association case.