Ben
Durack of Epsom received his Associate in Science degree for Fire
Science in the Lakes Region Community College Commencement Ceremony
held on May 21st at Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center in Gilford, NH.
Congratulations, Ben, for graduating with honors.
Whitney
Vaillancourt, daughter of Tammy and Matt Moore of Epsom; and David
Vaillancourt and Tracy Freeman of Epsom, will be graduating from
Pembroke Academy this June. Whitney has been accepted into the
General Studies Program at NHTI. Congratulations Whitney!
We love you!
Letter
To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, and Pittsfield:
This
week, the House met to act on Senate messages and Committee of
Conferences. The most important bill we took up was SB3,
comprehensive reform of the state retirement system. The result is
more like the Senate’s version: there is no change for retired
people. All active employees will pay about 2% more towards their
pensions, but for vested employees (those with ten years of service)
the only change is a limit in how much extra pay is credited towards
their pension. Non-vested employees have more changes, including
using the highest five years, rather than three; a $120,000 maximum
pension; and some types of compensation not included in the
calculations. For new hires, all extra and special duty pay is
excluded, and the minimum retirement age is increased to 50 for
police and fire, 60 for others. Finally, a study committee is formed
to investigate defined contribution (401(k) type) plans, and the
retirement system board is updated, with more public members
replacing both employee and legislative members. After some debate
and questions, the revision to SB3 passed, 250-112.
I was
appointed as an alternate to the committee of conference on HB2, the
budget trailer bill. HB2 contains all the law changes necessary to
make the budget work, plus all sorts of miscellaneous changes that
the House or the Senate considers vital to pass. Dan is an alternate
on the committee for HB1, the actual budget. The main difference
between the House and the Senate budgets is that the House assumed a
deficit for this year, while the Senate assumed a balanced budget.
If that is so, the House will be glad to add to the service budgets
that were so painful to cut.
Anyone who wants more information
than I can fit into a letter should email me for my newsletter.
Representative Carol McGuire
Carol@McGuire4House.com
782-4918
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