Carol McGuire, Author at Granite Grok

Your State House 5/21/21

January 12, 2025May 24, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee unanimously recommended two bills to the House: SB 58, which coordinated the statutory language for many of the licensing boards under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Unlike other bills we’ve seen, this had almost no policy changes, just clarification, and synchronization. It set all quorum requirements as a majority … Read more

Your State House 5/14/21 (SB155)

January 12, 2025May 18, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee continued with work sessions on various sections of our omnibus Senate bills. We dealt with a lot of minor points, such as ensuring that extending outdoor dining would not let restaurants in the country overwork their septic systems and that actual court reporters did not need to attend every licensing hearing. … Read more

Your State House 3/26/21

January 12, 2025March 30, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee met to review the performance audit of the liquor commission’s division of enforcement and licensing. The Commerce Committee, which usually deals with the liquor laws, joined us and provided a unique perspective. For example, when the audit called out that there were dozens of different licenses, with overlapping qualifications and restrictions, … Read more

Your State House 3/12/21

January 12, 2025March 16, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee heard HB 141, which requires the department of environmental services to track, in a publicly-accessible database, all uses of class B firefighting foam – used on flaming liquids, very effective but contains PFAS chemicals that have contaminated some water supplies. The biggest issue was that the bill would require all fire … Read more

Your State House 2/5/21

January 12, 2025February 9, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee had two full days of hearings. HB 425 created two new positions in the Department of Information Technology, and also a cybersecurity council. The sponsor reported that these positions already existed and were fully funded; the council also doesn’t seem to be necessarily in statute. HB 591 revised tobacco shop licensing … Read more

Your State House 1/29/21

January 12, 2025January 31, 2021 Carol McGuire

To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, & Pittsfield: This week, my committee held hybrid hearings on eight bills related to the state pension system. I and four other members were together in the Legislative Office Building (following restaurant rules, so masks are optional when seated and distanced); the rest were remote. It went better than … Read more

Your State House 12/04/20

January 12, 2025January 19, 2021 Carol McGuire

This week, I was sworn in for my seventh term in the State House. We met outside, to have enough room for social distancing, at UNH rather than in Concord. Over 100 members chose not to attend, believing that those measures were not enough to protect them. Three or four members had been reported to … Read more

Your State House 1/8/20

January 12, 2025January 10, 2021 Carol McGuire

To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, & Pittsfield: This week, the House met, as required by the constitution, to certify the election of the governor and the executive council. No protests over these; the peaceful protesters were opposing our meeting in our cars. In the UNH parking lot; not sure if they wanted us to … Read more

Your State House 10/16/20

January 12, 2025October 18, 2020 Carol McGuire

This year, I have submitted eight bills already, am researching another constituent request, and am open to further ideas. I’ve resubmitted some bills I worked on last year which died due to the COVID interruptions, including cannabis legalization (possessing and growing, but no sales); a certificate to allow cosmetologists to tattoo eyebrows (rather than getting … Read more

Your State House 3/13/20

January 12, 2025March 19, 2020 Carol McGuire

To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, & Pittsfield: This week, the House took Tuesday off for town election day, and then met Wednesday and Thursday on 400 bills. Thursday was the deadline for all House bills except the 129 that are in a second committee, so we had to act on all of them before ending Thursday night.

Your State House 3/11/20

January 12, 2025March 11, 2020 Carol McGuire

This week, my committee met to recommend eighteen bills to the House. HB 1121, proclaiming PANS/ PANDA Day, was recommended it be killed, 17-2, because the previous proclamations by the governor had not enlightened any of the members of the committee!

Your State House 1/27/2020

January 12, 2025January 27, 2020 Carol McGuire

This week, we continued with a heavy load of public hearings on new bills. I presented my HB 1648, which legalizes private use of cannabis and growing it for personal use. Unlike previous bills, there is no allowance for commercial sales: no regulation, no taxes, no fees, and the prohibition on selling cannabis (also on … Read more

Your State House 1/10/20

January 12, 2025January 17, 2020 Carol McGuire

Happy new year, and welcome back to legislative action. This year, we have about 900 bills to deal with, and a distressing number of them are bills that vetoed last year (or killed in the Senate for fear of a veto.) I am prime sponsor on five bills, and all have been scheduled for hearings … Read more

Your State House 6/4/19

January 12, 2025June 4, 2019 Carol McGuire

This week, back from vacation, my committee met to recommend four Senate bills. These had passed the House on the recommendation of another committee, but had some aspect that deserved further scrutiny. SB 80, on the board of mental health practice, had gone to subcommittee and had an amendment to clarify the language of the … Read more