Gov. Maggie Hassan is pledging to veto a bill to raise New Hampshire's beer tax a dime if it reaches her desk.Hassan told reporters Wednesday the discussion should be about jobs and the economy and now is not the time to raise the tax, especially with the New England Patriots possibly headed to the Super Bowl.
The tax currently is 30 cents per gallon and paid at the wholesale level. State Rep. Charles Weed, a Keene Democrat, proposes designating receipts from the increase to alcohol abuse and prevention treatment.
A state law currently requires a portion of the profits on liquor sales go toward treatment, but lawmakers have been diverting the money to other state spending for years. Hassan would not say if her budget will divert the money.