HB 1415 would have provided a $100,000 death benefit payment for educators killed in the line of duty. The bill mirrors a similar benefit currently provided to first responders.
CONCORD, NH, April 18, 2018 – NEA-NH President Megan Tuttle blamed Governor Sununu’s failure to endorse HB1415 as the reason the Senate Finance Committee voted to kill the bill today.
HB1415 would have provided a $100,000 death benefit payment for educators killed in the line of duty. The bill mirrors a similar benefit currently provided to first responders.
“On behalf of the 17,000 NEA-NH members who work in public schools where shootings are becoming all too common place, I requested Governor Sununu to support this bill. He did not even give me or our members the courtesy of a reply,” said Tuttle. “It is clear that his ambivalence towards providing some financial relief to the families of educators and school employees killed in the line of duty doomed this bill in the Senate Finance Committee.”
The committee voted along party lines, with all Republican members voting against school employees, 4-2 to kill the bill.
“I am certain that had Governor Sununu come out in favor of this bill it would have passed without opposition. The Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee in their vote today demonstrated their utter lack of compassion and concern for all New Hampshire school employees and their families,” continued Tuttle.
To tell the family of a school employee who died while confronting an active shooter that their sacrifice does not rise to the same level of respect as those responding to the educator’s call for help is insulting and heartless.”
“It is our hope that the Senate leadership will consider the vote of the Finance Committee and do the right thing and pass the bill despite the committee recommendation.”