N.H. House Kills Wal-Mart Bill

The New Hampshire House soundly rejected a bill Wednesday that would make the state’s largest employers spend 8 percent of their payroll on health insurance.

The House voted 212-128 to kill the proposal aimed at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., several grocery chains, the state’s larger hospitals and major manufacturers.

The bill would have required employers with more than 1,500 workers to spend 8 percent, if a for-profit entity, or 6 percent, if a nonprofit, on employee health care.

If the amount was less, the business or nonprofit would have been required to send the difference to the state to create a health care fund to help pay for care provided the poor.

The bill was modeled after a law that was enacted last month in Maryland.

The New Hampshire Business and Industry Association opposed the bill.

Latest Comments

• February 22, 2006 at 10:21 am

  Rob says:

  Nancy & Alan, Regardless of your personal opinions of Wal-Mart, government is seldom the answer and certainly not when the economic decisions and business models of private bu... read more
• February 20, 2006 at 1:55 am

  Hank says:

  I think most of you are missing the real point here, and that is those who believe in a free capitalist market don\'t want or need gov\'t at any level to decide what must be p... read more
• February 17, 2006 at 12:29 pm

  nancy says:

  As a NH resident and property tax payor I can tell you that approximately 73% of all NH Walmart employees receive some sort of taxpayer assistance...whether it is the Healthy ... read more