CONCORD – Business and civil rights leaders saluted Gov. John Lynch’s final State of the State address Tuesday, while leading Republican legislative leaders accused the departing Democrat of trying to sell an appealing wish list without paying for it.

House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, said Lynch has been an accessible, reassuring presence, but left no doubt that he longs for Election Day in November when voters could pick a Republican replacement.

“We need a governor who will sign the budget that recognizes that New Hampshire cannot prosper if we continually hike taxes and try to budget according to desires rather than reality,” O’Brien said. “We need a governor who will sign tax relief for employers to ensure that our state is no longer dead last for high business taxes. We need a governor who will sign Right to Work to attract businesses here and add good, new jobs.”

Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said Lynch, a four-term Democrat, has been a unifying leader and critical buffer against the GOP-led Legislature

“For seven years, the governor’s strong leadership has brought people together to make progress for New Hampshire during some of the toughest times in the last century,” Buckley said.

“I hope the Legislature will heed the governor’s call for common sense solutions at the Statehouse and change their focus from issues such as weakening our public safety laws and discriminating against certain segments of our population,” Buckley continued. “They should join the governor in focusing on jobs and the economy.”

Many leading Republicans resented Lynch’s demand that lawmakers find the $365 million needed to widen Interstate 93 from the Massachusetts border to Manchester without offering any way to pay for it.

“It was a speech very long on platitudes and very short on detail,” said House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt, R-Salem. “Any increase in taxes to pay for his promises is off the table.”

Sen. Chuck Morse, R-Salem, has been the biggest cheerleader for the I-93 project and proposed expanded gambling profits be used as a critical bridge financing source.

“He has no suggestion of how it’s going to be funded,” Morse said. “The reality is it’s going to have a high level of bonding and a source of funding to support that bonding.”

As the Senate architect of the two-year state budget that Lynch refused to sign, Morse criticized Lynch for lamenting cuts to higher education and hospitals.

“To Monday morning quarterback, there were $200 million of suggestions that weren’t in this budget that he endorsed,” Morse said. “I heard no one say how you are going to fund it. I think we were very disciplined; I’m not sure the governor was.”

The most popular line for big business was Lynch’s call to double to $2 million the tax credit companies can claim against the corporate profits and business activity taxes.

Business and Industry Association President Jim Roche said the $1 million cap has been in place since 2007 and proved to be too small.

“After four years of experience, we know the R&D tax credit is very popular, to the point of being oversubscribed,’’ Roche said.

‘’This over-subscription has exacerbated a cumbersome and time-consuming process, with some companies having to wait more than a year to receive their tax credit. And when the credit finally does arrive, it is often far less than what the company expected.”

On social issues, Lynch has said signing the state law legalizing marriages for gay and lesbian couples is one of his proudest achievements.

In the speech, Lynch made an oblique reference to fighting any move to erode civil rights, which gay rights leaders took as a commitment to block any repeal effort.

“Gov. Lynch has always been a defender of liberty and freedom,’’ said Lew Feldstein, co-chair of Standing Up for New Hampshire Families. “We applaud and appreciate his renewed commitment to veto any bill that would treat some New Hampshire families different than other families. It’s not the New Hampshire way.”

Lynch’s call to undo the state cigarette tax cut of 10 cents per pack drew plenty of foes and fans.

O’Brien said while returns from the tax have slumped, it’s outperformed other sin taxes and has appeared to pick up of late.

House Democratic Leader Terie Norelli, D-Portsmouth, said it was a flawed plan to begin with and should be extinguished.

Kevin Landrigan can reached at 321-7040 or klandrigan@nashuatelegraph.com; also check out Kevin Landrigan (@KLandrigan) on Twitter and don’t forget The Telegraph’s new, interactive live feed at www.nashuatelegraph.com/topics/livefeed.

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