CONCORD — BIA, New Hampshire’s statewide chamber of commerce and leading business advocate, is asking New Hampshire House members to support HB 1 and HB 2 when they meet Thursday, April 6 to vote on the $15.9 billion, two-year budget passed last week by the House Finance Committee.

“No budget is perfect,” said BIA President & CEO Michael Skelton, “but the Finance Committee version addresses many critical issues identified as top BIA legislative priorities for the session. These include greater state investment for programs that increase workforce housing availability and affordability; increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals to reduce cost shifting to the business community due to uncompensated care; increased funding for the state university and community college systems who are the pipeline for our next-generation workforce; and reauthorizing the Granite Advantage Health Care Program (expanded Medicaid) to ease workforce shortages.”

“Even though individual line items in the budget may not fully achieve hoped-for levels, BIA believes the Finance Committee’s work is a good first step,” Skelton added. “BIA is urging both Republican and Democratic House members to support the budget, send it to the Senate for additional work, and most importantly, keep the process moving forward.”