patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

NH Lawmakers Eye Life, Liberty, Taxes

Bills on tap this week include voter ID, health care, guns, death and taxes.

 

Life, liberty, guns, signs and size matters. Plus mind games and the Magna Carta? Warning: an epic legislative week is dead ahead.

Your state lawmakers are busy this week in Concord. Here is just some of what is on tap:

Signs: The House Public Works and Highways Committee holds a public hearing Tuesday on a bill to require DOT to post signs on all roads that cross the border into Massachusetts. The signs shall say, “Warning: Massachusetts Border 500 Feet.” Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Room 201, Legislative Office Building. Co-sponsors of House Bill 1412 include Rep. Donna Mauro, R-Windham, and Rep. Mary Griffin, R-Windham.

Photo Finish: Legislation to require photo identification to vote gets a public hearing Tuesday. After the James O’Keefe voter fraud project on Primary Day, this should have plenty of fireworks. Sponsors include Sen. Russ Prescott, R-Kingston and Rep. Pamela Tucker, R-Greenland. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Senate Public and Municipal Affairs, LOB Room 101.

The Magna Carta? There is a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that requires a reference to the Magna Carta on certain legislation. “All members of the general court proposing bills and resolutions addressing individual rights or liberties shall include a direct quote from the Magna Carta which sets forth the article from which the individual right or liberty is derived.” Tuesday, 11 a.m. LOB Room 206.

Mind games: A bill to allow “the playing of certain mind sports for money” gets a hearing before House Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “Mind sports” means human games whose long-term outcomes are determined by the skill of the players. They “shall include backgammon, bridge, chess, and poker. Bingo, blackjack, craps, pai gow poker, roulette, and games involving gambling machines shall not be mind sports.” Tuesday, 1:15 p.m., LOB Room 302.

Pre-emptive Strikes: Democrats in the House and Senate hold a news conference at noon today (Jan. 23) to attack House Bill 1560, “an act relative to the interstate Health Care Compact.” Democrats say it will effectively end Medicare as it is known in New Hampshire. The bill is co-sponsored by House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt and Sen. Chuck Morse, Republicans from Salem. The quick analysis on the bill: “This bill establishes the interstate Health Care Compact which provides that each member state shall have the authority to enact state laws that supersede any and all federal laws regarding health care within its state.” Public hearing Tuesday, 10 a.m., LOB 206.

2nd Amendment: The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety listens to testimony on numerous gun bills this week. One of them, repealing the criminal history record and protective order check for the sale of firearms, has a hearing Thursday at 1 p.m. in LOB Room 204. The committee on Tuesday hears other bills, including House Bill 1318 at 11:30 a.m., which permits anyone who meets RSA 159:4 to carry a firearm openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded.

Size Matters: Is not everyone happy with the New Hampshire House being the largest state legislative body in the country? Legislative Administration will hear a proposed amendment to the state Constitution to cut the membership size of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. It would rewrite part of Article 9, so that the number of representatives shall not be less than 90 or more than 100 – as opposed to current 375/400 ratio. Wednesday, 11 a.m., LoB Room 104.

Related Topics: Guns, House, Legislative, Liberty, Magna Carta, NH, and nh legislature

bitsnpieces

2:46 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

I worked all my dam life I have ms and other health issues dont you dare touch my medicare I refuse to vote republican now

Reply

Edward Dunsel

4:05 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

The Magna Carta?

Upholding things other than the laws and constituions of this state and nation is dangerous stuff. That's stuff that traitors do. Do we have traitors in our state legislature?

Reply
Comment_arrow

bitsnpieces

5:13 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

yes we do how pathetic is this I am mad as heck

Comment_arrow

ForThePeople

7:47 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

The long and short of it is, people fell asleep the last state election expecting the status quo. Meanwhile, the Free State Project (Ron Paul fan club, go look it up) moved in and now all the fanatics have woken up. It is easier to mobilize fanatics. The next election, we can expect the pendulum to swing back the other way as people realize the importance of state elections.

Comment_arrow

-Paul-

8:27 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

ForThePeople, I'm a New Hampshire native, not a FSP member, but I know a lot of FSP participants, and they're some of the kindest, best people I know. They respect and support liberty, and so do I.

To try to collectivize and smear them, or everyone in NH who doesn't share your political opinions, by quoting a story about an attack on a cat in Arkansas, is absolutely wrong. You're trying to engender fear and bigotry, and it's absolutely inappropriate.

A real conversation would be welcome. This kind of nonsense is not.

Comment_arrow

-Paul-

8:37 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

Edward Dunsel, I wouldn't go around calling people "Traitors". I think we can examine any piece of legislation, or any human action, on its own practical and moral merits. There's nothing wrong with placing restrictions on what new laws and regulations the NH legislature can create -- and I do view with trepidation moves by the federal government (e.g. NDAA, Patriot Act) to abridge not only constitutional rights, but rights recognized as far back as the Magna Carta.

I agree, however, that this certainly seems to be a poorly conceived piece of legislation. The good news is, if you ask any legislator, there are always hundreds of bills that come up every year that don't have a prayer. I strongly suspect this is one of them.

Comment_arrow

ForThePeople

8:48 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Do all Paulbots just copy and paste what other people say and rephrase it with their own propaganda? I know plenty of free state folks as well as Ron Paul folks (the former is usually part of the latter). My article link was about right wing extremism which is not a new concept. Like it or lump it, it exists, and I have no qualms about pointing it out.

-Paul-

9:01 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

Some more info on these bills, of which you may not have been aware (and a few of my opinions, for what they're worth):

Signs: This bill would not require any taxpayer money -- it's funded voluntarily by businesses. Here's a site supporting the bill, and telling the story of at least one person whose life was severely impacted by unknowingly crossing the state line: http://www.borderwarning.com It's not as silly as it sounds.

Photo Finish: Voter fraud is a real concern. Here's one story on how dead people can vote, from the primary earlier this month: http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/11/video-nh-poll-workers-shown-handing-out-ballots-in-dead-peoples-names/

Mind games: This one's fairly straightforward; I certainly support it. What people do with their own money is their business.

Pre-emptive Strikes: Doesn't change policy, just asserts the state's right to make reforms in the future.

Size Matters: Straightforward; I absolutely oppose it. This is far more important than it may appear -- the more reps there are, the less easily corruptible/bribable/lobbied they are, and the closer they are to the people. I think to a large part, the culture of relatively less waste and corruption we enjoy here is due to our large legislative body, and because it's accessible to average people, not just professional, career politicians.

Reply
Comment_arrow

Jan Schmidt

7:48 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Signs: "WARNING!" what a super ugly way to say "Leaving NH, come back soon"
Photos: Only arrogant and ignorant people would assume that everyone is exactly the same as themselves - to require ID, first you have to ensure everyone has it. That this isn't part of the plan, its apparent the goal is to disenfranchise.
Mind: And if fools can't help themselves its too darned bad?
Pre-emptive: It further destroys our social compact.
Size: ??? Our legislature is cumbersome, it should be smaller - and the fact that they don't get paid means that there are very few "average people" there.

D.J. Bettencourt

9:53 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

Citizens and state legislators in 12 states are working to get the Health Care Compact passed by their legislatures, and the compact is being actively discussed in at least 25 additional states.

There is no doubt our current health care system is on an unsustainable path. Ultimately, government health care will bankrupt both our federal and state budgets without significant and meaningful entitlement reform.

However, opponents of meaningful reform routinely dismiss innovative ideas like the Health Care Compact out of hand in favor of propping up a broken system that will destroy the American Dream of our future generations with enormous debt. As elected leaders, we must do more to address this problem head on.

In the end, Government is best when closest to the people and bringing healthcare management back to the state level would ensure more efficiency and promote accountability.

Reply
Comment_arrow

NH Labor News

10:50 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

I think that all of these bills show exactly what our State Legislature is doing. They are pushing the religious and ideological views on the entire state. Repealing bills that the majority on NH agrees with, like Collective Bargaining (62% agree) or Gay Mariage (60% agree). These people, including You MR BETTENCOURT, ran on this platform of JOBS. Where are all those bills? Please don't say Right To Work 4 Less because that well has dried up.

There are many people that are reling on NH and other states to Enact the Affordable Health Care Act, yet NH tries to push against it in a Partisan political move. Why do you think that NH can Override the Federal Government on this issue and not others? If we could override the Federal Government on anything, why dont we pass a NH Law Saying NH Residents dont have to pay Federal Income Taxes? Think of the growth we would see in NH. Home values would skyrocket!

Comment_arrow

Jan Schmidt

7:58 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Health Care Compact Alliance is a non-partisan section 501(c)(4) organization providing tools that refuses to disclose donors.

this is a bill straight from ALEC...
"On November 30, 2011, the HCCA announced that ALEC adopted the Compact as model legislation. The bill was originally introduced in ALEC's Health and Human Services Task Force. After being approved there, it was sent to the Board of Directors where it was approved again and officially became model legislation.

Through ALEC, behind closed doors, corporations hand state legislators the changes to the law they desire that directly benefit their bottom line. Along with legislators, corporations have membership in ALEC. Corporations sit on all nine ALEC task forces and vote with legislators to approve “model” bills. They have their own corporate governing board which meets jointly with the legislative board. (ALEC says that corporations do not vote on the board.) They fund almost all of ALEC's operations.
"

Dr. NO

10:41 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012

Sounds like it makes sense to me D.J., keep up the good work.

Reply

bitsnpieces

7:55 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

try building factories in Nh and create jobs!!!!

Reply

Jan Schmidt

8:03 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

@paul

FSP is just the name for the invading army of super-libertarians that are bent on reshaping NH into a state with no public services. If you don't know this then read up on Jason Sorens and the Koch sponsored plan, if you deny this then you're blind, if you support this - shame on you.

Reply

Thomas Trueblood

8:32 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

@Jan Schmidt
As opposed to the 12 to 15 (expanding) NH State Democrat Party employees who are paid big bucks all the money which comes from out of state. As opposed to 26 Paid Obama Operatives who just moved in to NH from Out Of State? Why cannot NH Democrats fund and pay for operations in NH? Why do you get many millions of dollars from god knows where? But it is not from NH. This will be a recurring theme Jan as the many millions and millions of dollars just rolls in to our tiny state. "Good Grief" Jan.

Reply
Comment_arrow

Jan Schmidt

8:45 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hey buddy, great way to say on subject!

OK, I'll answer... why should NH pay for President Obama's re-election team? Duh!
And I know I've asked you this very question before... where is your documentation on the funding of the NH Democratic Party? and why does it matter so very, very much to you?

or better yet, why do these petty things mean so much more to you than the rape of NH?

Thomas Trueblood

9:23 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

@Good Grief
A)The reality is Independents voted out Democrats in this state. Hard for you to deal with this?
B) Rape of NH is overkill. Don't you think Independents would think that.
C) Can't wait for FEC filling deadline of January 31 for the NH Democrat Party Contributions.
D) Maybe I should not tell you that your marketing strategy is terrible.

Reply
Comment_arrow

Jan Schmidt

9:30 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Do yourself a favor TT - check to see just how many voted in the last election, and then think over your A) and B).
If C) matters to you then you're a partisan hack. Tell me how much money Romney spent in NH in the 2010 election... the elections where you think the I's voted. and D) It beats yours...

Thomas Trueblood

9:35 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Well Jan we do agree on something I would not contribute a NICKEL to Obamas campaign and neither do you.

Reply
Comment_arrow

Jan Schmidt

10:07 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Logic escapes you, doesn't it...

Edward Dunsel

4:30 pm on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Maybe "traitors" was too strong a word. I'll go with BIGOTS, instead:

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) People could refuse to provide accommodations, goods or services to gay couples getting married in New Hampshire under legislation being considered by the House.
The Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday on the bill that allows the discrimination if a business owner, an employee or anyone else felt providing the services would violate his or her conscience or religious faith.

Reply

Gramma

3:51 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012

Perhaps the Deputy Speaker , Tucker, can explain her photo ID bill in detail. Did she bother to show up and testify AND TAKE QUESTIONS?? That would be different! She couldn't do anything to help on the amendment to hb 356 two months ago. She had no clue as to the work the subcommittee had done on the bill but she and the chairman of the committee, Bates, managed to get the Speakers "ringers" to come in and kill a perfectly good bill that had bipartisan support. Shame on the GOP leadership

Reply

Leave a comment