Executive Council

In a race that was too close to call Tuesday night, Republican Joe Kenney declared victory this morning in a special election to fill the vacant District 1 Executive Council seat.

He fills the seat left vacant by longtime North Country Executive Councilor Ray Burton, who died late last year.

Kenney took 51 percent of the vote, just enough to defeat Democrat and Grafton County Commissioner Mike Cryans.

The Executive Council has confirmed four judges for the circuit court nominated by Governor Maggie Hassan.

On the Political Front, NHPR's Josh Rogers discusses the legacy of longtime Executive Councilor Ray Burton.

Burton, a Republican from Bath, announced over the weekend that he would not be seeking reelection after learning that his kidney cancer had returned. 

The Executive Council has confirmed Governor Hassan’s appointees for the commissioner of both the Banking Department and the Department of Resources and Economic Development.

The council voted unanimously to confirm Jeff Rose as DRED Commissioner and Glenn Perlow as Banking Commissioner.

Rose, a Republican, held positions in both the public and private sector, most recently as head of communications for BAE Systems in Nashua. Perlow is moving up from the number two spot in the Banking Department.

District 4 Executive Council candidates Chris Pappas and Bob Burns met in debate Wednesday. They are vying to replace outgoing councilor Ray Weiczorek.

An Executive Council race in the Manchester area turned out to be one of the state's closest primary races.

Colin Van Ostern won the Democratic nomination for the District 2 chair on the Executive Council.  The district includes the Concord area, and stretches from Vermont to the coast.
 
He beat opponent John Shea, who held a seat on the Council from 2006 to 2010.

Van Ostern says the Council’s decision last June to cut funding to Planned Parenthood spurred him to run.  But he made his campaign about the economy.

New Hampshire's Executive Council has approved hiring a consultant to assist the state in reviewing proposals from several companies to run its prisons. The council approved a contract Wednesday of $171,347 to hire consultant MGT of America of Tallahassee, Florida

Governor John Lynch says it’s a lot of money, but necessary to figure out which proposal is really the best deal.

[View the story "N.H. Executive Council Passes $2.3 Billion Medicaid Contract" on Storify]N.H. Executive Council Passes $2.3 Billion Medicaid Contract

Storified by · Wed, May 09 2012 12:48:16

RT @FostersDailyDem: BREAKING NEWS: N.H. Executive Council OKs $2.3 billion Medicaid contract http://bit.ly/JxiCxxNHPR NewsNH Executive Council OKs $2.3 billion Medicaid contractBy JIM HADDADIN CONCORD – On a split vote, members of New Hampshire's Executive Council approved a $2.3 billion contract establishing...Managed Medicaid could significantly shake up service for some 140,000 NH residents. HHS officials believe this reform is critical.Dan GorensteinExecutive Councilors are talking about how they will vote on managed medicaid contract.Dan GorensteinDozens of managed Medicaid opponents are in Executive Council chambers. Many are opposed to how plan would change services for the disabled.Dan GorensteinExecutive Council meeting getting under way. Councilors expect to vote on $2.3 B managed Medicaid contract. Insiders say contract will pass.Dan Gorenstein

State and Managed Care company officials met today with the executive council to discuss the contract that would change the state’s Medicaid Program. The councilors have serious concerns, and many questions.

The $2.2 billion dollar proposed contract is the biggest in the history of the state. Supporters say Managed Medicaid would streamline services for the some 130,000 people in the program. Health-care providers worry the new contract may hurt their patients and their business.

The Executive Council refused to give New Hampshire Consumer Advocate Meredith Hatfield another term.

Some on the all Republican council feel she’s been too political in her opinions.

The Executive Council voted three to two against re-appointing Meredith Hatfield to represent the interest of consumers against the state’s public utilities.

Councilor Chris Sununu, of Newfields, says he was concerned about her stance on the Laidlaw Biomass Plant in Berlin as well as some of her opinions on the PSNH power plant in Bow.