Finance Division II advances HB2 changes, cuts university funding and adds license-plate fee for lake cleanup

The Finance - Division II work session met beginning at about 1:00 p.m. and took multiple procedural and policy actions on amendments to House Bill 2, including adding a specialty license plate to fund lake cyanobacteria mitigation, rejecting a proposed administrative fee on certain dedicated funds, adopting a change to business-tax revenue splits that reduces the share flowing to the Education Trust Fund, adopting language from HB 741 on school open enrollment, and approving a reduction in state operating support for the University System of New Hampshire.

Why it matters: the group of votes alters how the state balances the biennial budget (HB2), reallocates several revenue streams, and makes a $25 million-per-year net reduction to public-university operating support—moves that supporters said were necessary to close a budget gap and critics warned would have downstream effects on workforce development and regional economies.

Lakes specialty license plate: The division agreed to include statutory language creating a new “Lakes” specialty license plate into HB2 that directs proceeds to a cyanobacteria fund. The plate, described by a member as a request from Representative Rung, would dedicate revenue to local efforts to monitor and treat cyanobacteria blooms in lakes. The motion to adopt the amendment (identified in the packet as amendment 14‑06‑H to HB2) was seconded on the floor; the clerk called for a show-of-hands vote and the committee approved the inclusion. The transcript indicates Representative Rung requested the addition and Representative Murray seconded the motion. The text in the packet ties the plate’s proceeds specifically to a “cyanobacteria fund.”

Administrative fee on dedicated funds rejected: The…