The Latest: Budget increases funds for anti-drug efforts

CONCORD, N.H. – The Latest on Gov. Chris Sununu’s budget plan (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu is increasing funding for the state’s alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery fund by about $3 million. Money for the fund comes from a portion of state liquor sales, and he’s proposing upping the percentage from 1.7 to 3.4 per cent.

And he wants to add a specialist focused on treatment, prevention and recovery to work with the “drug czar,” an employee of the governor’s office tasked with tackling the opioid crisis.

The Republican governor’s budget also pays for 10 more state troopers, mainly to focus on drug interdiction, which includes enforcement and cracking down on dealers.

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12:30 p.m.

The state’s health department sees the biggest increase in Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s budget proposal, including $57 million more for services for people with developmental disabilities. His office says this is the largest increase in that area in recent history.

Many New Hampshire residents with developmental disabilities, such as brain damage, are on a waiting list for services due to a lack of state money.

It also adds $3 million for mental health services and $5 million to boost pay for health care workers.

The Division for Children, Youth and Families would also hire more workers under Sununu’s proposal. The agency has been under scrutiny following a report that showed it too often fails to protect endangered children, partly due to an overworked staff.

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12:20 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu’s budget puts $18 million toward full-day kindergarten and creates a $5 million scholarship fund for college students. But it does not increase funding for the university system, which will likely prevent a tuition freeze.

On kindergarten, Sununu’s budget would allocate $9 million each year to schools that offer full-day kindergarten. It proposes dolling out aid based on need, including the number of low-income or English language learners in a school, rather than giving out a uniform amount per student. Every district would get some money.

Sununu, a Republican, is proposing a $5 million “Governor’s Scholarship Fund” to provide scholarships to at least 1,000 New Hampshire students to attend state universities. It’s unclear how the money will be awarded.

The state’s public charter schools are poised to get $15 million more.

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Noon

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is presenting a $12.1 billion, two-year state budget proposal, the first major show of his priorities as New Hampshire’s new governor.

Sununu is delivering his budget remarks Thursday before a joint session of the House and Senate.

Sununu says his budget emphasizes job growth, enhancing services for children and improving safety, such as drinking water, as priorities.

His office says the budget doesn’t increase any taxes or fees. Business taxes will continue to go down, based on changes made by the last Legislature. The budget also does not lay off any state workers.

The current state budget is $11.3 billion.

Sununu’s budget is the first step, and the document will now go to lawmakers for changes. A final budget must be passed by the end of June.