NH Democrats push populist policies as president unveils his budget priorities

CONCORD -- As President Trump rolls out his first federal budget, Democratic lawmakers in Concord joined in a nationwide effort to offer an alternative set of policy proposals, including a higher minimum wage and family medical leave.

State Rep. Steve Shurtleff of Penacook, House Democratic leader, told reporters that while Democrats may be in the minority, they still have realistic hopes for some successes based on the first two months of the legislative session.

“We have been pleasantly surprised,” said Shurtleff, regarding the ability of the minority party to cobble together some successes with the help of a handful of Republicans.

“We are in the minority in the House by about 45 votes, but we’ve seen so far we’ve had successes that people did not think would come our way,” he said.

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