It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to discover whether or not your elected officials are more interested in government power over the people or in using their own authority in the defense of liberty. But HB399, the New Hampshire Liberty Act, may provide us with a window into the heart of those currently serving.
HB399 seeks to prohibit federal enforcement of indefinite detention without due process. This should seem like a no-brainer. No matter who happens to be in the majority, no one should ever want their leaders–no matter how unlikely–to have the power to sweep people up in the dark of night and detain them without due process, for as long as they like.
Or are New Hampshire Democrats OK with that?
The bill’s language is very specific about the source of the authority it seeks to protect Granite Staters from (more here on NDAA 1021 and 1022) so any argument about misinterpretation is a non-starter.
HB 399 would make it a crime in the state of New Hampshire to aid or abet the execution of indefinite detention without due process.
If indefinite detention is so unlikely as opponents might like to argue, or may never produce the results HB 399 exists to prevent, then this is a simple step and a very low maintenance bill designed to ensure that no one in New Hampshire is ever denied this basic constitutional right. Being such big fans of civil rights, proactive prevention, and legislative action to those ends, Democrats in particular–and their progressive Republican counterparts–should be more than willing to embrace this….constitutional safety net.
Voting against the measure might be rightly interpreted as a willingness to allow the Federal government the power of indefinite detention over New Hampshire residents, even under the most likely of circumstances. It also suggests that letting the federal government trample on our state sovereignty is permissible and encouraged.
You wouldn’t want to be on the record as being against your own citizens constitutional rights would you? Or would you?
I guess we’ll find out.
Will New Hampshire Democrats vote for indefinite detention without due process? The hearing for HB399 is this Thursday, February 21st, at 10am in LOB 203.
You are reading “Will New Hampshire Democrats Vote for Indefinite Detention?” by Steve Mac Donald originally posted at GraniteGrok.com (Home)
Steve has been recognized as the Americans For Prosperity Blogger of the month for December 2012
