State House Dome: Sununu turns thumbs down on pension sweeteners

May 20—AN AMBITIOUS PROPOSAL to deliver public pension benefits to nearly 2,000 state workers has a formidable enemy at the State House.

Gov. Chris Sununu.

The House-passed budget includes a proposal with broad bipartisan support to restore larger pensions for this target group of workers, which had benefits cut during the Great Recession in 2011.

State Rep. Dan McGuire, R-Epsom, and Peter Leishman, D-Peterborough, are the biggest advocates for the change, which would cost the state retirement system $50 million a biennium over the next five state budgets.

"This rights a wrong. That's really what it's all about," McGuire told House budget writers.

This separate legislation (HB 436) is included in the House trailer bill to the budget.

The House endorsed it, 282-80.

But Sununu said he doesn't support any of the public employee retirement sweeteners in the House-passed budget.

"I am not looking to make any changes in the pension system; that's where I am," Sununu told reporters.

Last year, Sununu signed legislation that used state budget surplus to provide a one-time $29 million boost to enhance state support for the retirement costs facing local property taxpayers.

"We have already done a number of things to benefit the system," Sununu said. "We have made huge strides and changes."

Unlike most of his peer governors, Sununu lacks a line-item veto, so he may have to swallow a compromise budget plan that includes these provisions.

The governor's opposition still looms large, however, and signals to the Senate Finance Committee he would be very happy if it decides to strike those benefits from its spending blueprint.

The 'new' Dem caucus

Over the past 15 years, while the two parties have exchanged majority control in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Democratic and Republican leaders often have resorted to recruiting candidates who agreed to run but not necessarily show up.

Manchester Democrats had a history of filling out the slate of candidates in the state's largest city with some who didn't exactly qualify for State House attendance awards. Mostly, that hasn't been the case this time, though Rep. Trinidad Tellez, D-Manchester, a family physician, has one of the lowest attendance rates this session, missing more than 40% of votes.

But House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm and his team won stunning victories against parental rights legislation (SB 272) and for permanent Medicaid expansion (SB 263) by getting more fannies in the seats than the GOP caucus could.

Tellez was front and center for last week's votes. The only Democrats missing on Thursday were Reps. Robin Vogt, D-Portsmouth, who was on a family vacation, and Rep. Bill Hatch, D-Gorham, who has been recovering from a series of debilitating surgeries over the past few months.

The grief Vogt received for missing the pivotal vote spoke to how determined Democrats were to outhustle the GOP.

"There is no one who supports a work/life balance more than me — but real allies show up," tweeted Monica Venzke, a former state Democratic Party press secretary who now works with American Bridges.

"Session ends in June. When you were elected, you knew that. These are the responsibilities you take on as a legislator, and clearly, you cannot handle them."

Both parties were able to get some of their scofflaws to show up. They included Reps. William Dolan, D-Nashua; John Lewicke, R-Mason; Kat McGhee, D-Hollis, and James Mason, R-Franklin.

House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, was starting from behind on parental rights.

He could persuade only one of four past naysayers from his party — Rep. Mark Proulx, R-Manchester — to change his mind.

Two of the Republicans, Reps. Mike Bordes of Laconia and Travis O'Hara of Belmont, backed an amendment that gutted the bill. The fourth opponent, Rep. Dan Wolf, R-Newbury, was absent.

Big bro on sidelines

Former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu said he has not been pushing younger brother Chris on a decision to run for president.

"I've always said to a lot of people thinking about running for office, it's like becoming pregnant," Sununu said during an interview.

"There are incredibly positive experiences, but also challenges and sacrifices that come from such a decision. At the end of the day it's got to a personal one you feel comfortable with, and that's how I feel watching Chris right now."

The elder Sununu said whatever his brother's decision, he already has made a difference.

"Look, he has already done so much already to change the debate, reframe the argument, make it clear that Republicans are going to win the White House with a positive, forward-looking vision and not by turning to someone bent on revenge or unable to let go of petty grudges," Sununu said.

Handicapping his chances

For his part, Sununu told journalist Tara Palmeri with Puck News that there's a 61% likelihood he'll run for president and a 50% chance he'll seek an unprecedented fifth two-year term as governor.

Must be the new math.

During the interview, Sununu downplayed the influence of the evangelical vote in the Iowa caucus ("It's only 17%") and said it would be difficult for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and ex-Vice President Mike Pence to win a general election by supporting a national abortion ban at six weeks.

"I feel strongly enough to know that it is a terrible political issue for Republicans on a national stage. Pro-life is a losing issue," Sununu said.

Later he said, "So when we get on a national stage, and Republicans say, 'We're gonna ban abortions here or here or here, pick your week,' it's a losing argument."

Sununu said all those running need to present a unified front and signal that it's time to move past former President Donald Trump.

"Every single candidate has a responsibility to push back on this Trump narrative that appears to define the Republicans but it really doesn't, which is that he was successful when he really wasn't."

Allies seek new terms

A pair of close political allies are on Sununu's wish list for the Executive Council to confirm for new terms.

Auto dealer Andy Crews, one of Sununu's most significant fundraisers for his gubernatorial campaigns, is Sununu's nominee for another three-year term on the New Hampshire Lottery Commission.

Keene Mayor George Hansel was put forward with Gregg Tewksbury, also of Keene, for new four-year terms on the University System Board of Trustees.

Following his failed 2022 GOP bid for Congress, Hansel has announced he will not run again for Keene mayor this fall.

Another judge to retire

Mark Weaver of Greenland is the latest of several judges to file for retirement.

The circuit court judge, who has been on the bench since 2012, will step down next month after he turns 65, which will qualify him for a reduced judicial pension.

Longtime AG staffer is named to bench

Anne Edwards Parker of Milford, general counsel to Attorney General John Formella, secured her own judgeship on the superior court.

The council approved Sununu's choice by a 4-1 count, with Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, declaring himself a "soft no."

Many conservatives turned out to oppose her choice over her backing of COVID-19 restrictions and her handling of the forensic audit of election ballots from the 2020 election in Windham.

Careful with cat claws

State Sen. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, decided it was better to give legislation to ban cat declawing a polite burial rather than kill it outright.

On Thursday, the Senate voted to table this legislation (HB 231), which had surprisingly strong bipartisan support in the House, which passed it, 225-147.

Pearl said it's clear to him that most vets discourage cat owners from electing this very painful procedure unless it's absolutely medically necessary.

Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, said the procedure is never justified and that New Hampshire should join a very small number of states that don't allow it.

A State Senate panel recommended killing the bill, but after Sen. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, announced his support for it, Pearl asked the Senate to set it aside instead.

Massive IT contract OK'd

Administrative Services Commissioner Charles Arlinghaus and Information Technology Commissioner Denis Goulet had plenty to celebrate after the Executive Council unanimously backed their proposal to stick with the existing vendor, Infor, to update the state's Enterprise Resource Planning system.

The ERP is the computer software brain for all state government documents relating to payroll, personnel, contracting and scheduling.

The pair said the $31 million price tag to stick with the incumbent avoids the risk the state would spend tens of millions more on a new contract.

Given the vacancy rate throughout state government, Arlinghaus said he had no confidence the state could carry out a complete reboot.

Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, said she felt "boxed in" at learning Arlinghaus' team decided a year ago to try to stick with the existing vendor — and never told the council.

"When you have a large contract like this and make a decision that you aren't going out to bid, you contact us as well," she said.

Arlinghaus answered, "I think that is fair. I apologize and I'm sorry about that."

Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, said what convinced her was that selection of a new vendor might mean the state would not be able to use $15 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars it gets for staying with the current vendor.

COVID bucks stop here

During the height of the pandemic, Sununu took steps to make sure unspent money from the first COVID-19 federal relief package known as the CARES Act did not go back to Washington.

One of his executive orders directed uncommitted money to to the Unemployment Trust Fund that supports jobless benefits.

Taylor Caswell, director of the Governor's Office of Federal Emergency Relief and Recovery, said he will recommend Sununu make a similar decision to set up a depository for unspent money from the second round of COVID help.

"We're doing every thing we possibly can to commit every single dollar, but I'm sure we'll be setting up some contingency," Caswell said.

Burning a hole in their pocket

The state is still months away from completing its negotiations for a private housing developer to buy the former Laconia State School property.

This hasn't stopped Senate budget writers from coming up with ways to spend it.

Senate Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua said the estimated $21.5 million profit should be used to shore up the new dental benefit for those on Medicaid.

The state is using proceeds from a managed care insurance company's settlement with the state over unfair pricing to cover the cost of the first three years of the benefit.

Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, said the benefit's financing is solid for now and should be a decision for future budget writers.

Bradley suggested using the money to buy the Granite Place office complex the state plans to lease from Concord developer and ex-GOP chairman Steve Duprey to house the Department of Justice.

Bradley said the lease deal has an option to buy that he said would save the state "plenty of money in the long run."

Kevin Landrigan is State House Bureau Chief for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Contact him at klandrigan@unionleader.com.