CONCORD – Senate President Peter Bragdon, R-Milford, says he thinks his colleagues prefer amending the constitution in order to place a cap on future state spending rather than create a super-majority hurdle against raising state taxes or fees.

Bragdon told a Senate committee Tuesday that his proposed cap on future state budgets should replace a House-passed tax provision that was a top 2011 priority of House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon.

In a telephone interview, Bragdon told The Telegraph he’s hopeful the Senate Internal Affairs Committee, with some tweaking, will embrace his proposal next week and the full Senate will follow suit Feb. 8.

“The way you keep taxes low and from going up is to control spending,” Bragdon said.

“I always remember (the late) Gov. Meldrim Thomson saying low taxes come from low spending. I think that’s where the discipline has to start to be effective.”

Bragdon’s proposal, if adopted by the Legislature and the voters this fall, would not permit a state operating or capital budget to increase over a two-year period more than the rate of inflation and the increase in population.

“If we keep growth to inflation and population, then that takes care of your need to raise revenue,” Bragdon said.

To achieve success, Bragdon needs to get at least 15 of the 24 state senators and then 60 percent of the 400-person House to endorse this approach.

Any amendment to the N.H. Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the voters at the polls.

Last March, the House overwhelmingly embraced setting a 60 percent super-majority hurdle to impose any tax or license fee or to increase either one.

Bragdon said this approach can be too restrictive.

For example, it could block legitimate attempts to reform the tax structure that would replace an old and unfair tax with a new and improved one and not raise any additional revenue.

“If we want to improve things by replacing one for the other, this amendment could really block that, and it’s a concern of mine,” Bragdon said.

House chief of staff Greg Moore fully expects the House to stick with its super-majority tax plan over one on spending.

Reps. Jordan Ulery and Andrew Renzullo, both R-Hudson, are the original sponsors (CACR 6).

“Some senators could have a hard time defending their vote against a super-majority on higher taxes,” Moore said.

In addition, some GOP leaders believe the tax question could help increase turnout of conservative voters and generate a well-financed campaign from private business supporters this fall.

Bragdon said he hasn’t solicited House support.

“I fully expect they will maintain their position, and we’ll have a good discussion in a conference committee,” he said.

The Senate leader’s language is similar to the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights spending cap that voters in Colorado first adopted in 1992. In that state, revenues were refunded to taxpayers if they grew greater than inflation and population growth.

This TABOR movement, however, has failed to catch on in the states – nearly half – that have considered it, including in Maine where voters rejected it in a 2006 referendum.

Kevin Landrigan can reached at 321-7040 or klandrigan@nashuatelegraph.com.

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