For Immediate Release:                                  Contact: Colin Manning
Wednesday, March 26, 2008                                       (603) 271-2121
                       
Governor Lynch Urges House Finance Committee to Support Constitutional Amendment

Governor Says An Amendment is Needed to Effectively Direct Aid to Communities Most in Need; Senate Already Approved Amendment 19-5

CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today urged the House Finance Committee to support a constitutional amendment that would affirm the state's responsibility for education and allow the legislature to effectively direct education aid to the communities that need help the most.

"I believe strongly that we do have a responsibility to ensure all our children have an opportunity for a quality education," Gov. Lynch said. "And I am committed to helping ensure all of our children, regardless of where they live, have opportunities they deserve for good educations and better lives.

"To put in place the best education plan possible, we need to be able to direct more aid to communities with greater needs. We need to be able to look at the fiscal capacity of communities. We need to be able to look at the results of communities. And to do those things effectively, we need to pass a constitutional amendment," Gov. Lynch said.

The amendment, CACR 34, clearly sets forth the state's responsibility to promote an equal opportunity for an adequate education for every child in public schools. It also provides the flexibility the state needs to effectively direct aid to communities that need it the most.

"An education plan that obligates us to send the same amount to every child in every community before we can help communities with greater needs does not reduce the inequity that exists between schools. Rather, it widens the disparities and maintains the status quo," Gov. Lynch said. "That is the reason why nearly no other state does it this way. Nearly every state in the country directs more education aid to needier communities. That's because it is a better education policy. We should be able to do the same thing."

The amendment, CACR 34, passed the Senate last month with a strong bipartisan vote of 19-5.

The amendment is sponsored by Sens. Joseph Foster, Ted Gatsas, Peter Burling, Martha Fuller Clark, Jack Barnes, Sheila Roberge, Bob Odell, David Gottesman, Maggie Hassan, Sylvia Larsen, Lou D'Allesandro and Betsi DeVries.