In a statement opposing Medicaid expansion, New Hampshire Republican Party chair Jennifer Horn declared “we should not abandon good NH programs like CHINS in deference to a federal mandate that will not even be funded.”
Horn, who has a record of rewriting history when it gets in the way of her ideological narrative, blithely ignores the fact that the Republican legislature slashed the CHINS budget to the bone in 2011.
Children in Need of Services (CHINS), which provides services to children with behavioral problems before they escalate to criminal conduct, was one of the most controversial cuts included in the 2012-2013 budget.
The O’Brien-led House proposed eliminating the program entirely before the Senate added back just enough money to handle the most severe cases. The program, which previously helped about 1,000 children a year, now serves only 50.
“In the new Legislature, where the Democrats control the House,” writes Ben Leubsdorf, “the CHINS program is getting a fresh look.”
Will Jennifer Horn support Democratic efforts to reinstate the CHINS budget? I’m not holding my breath.
