Eleven NH Republicans Join Democrats To Protect Unconstitutional Buffer Zone Law

Politics is about keeping score. And since we’re here for the principles, not just the party, it behooves us to report on elected officials registered as Republicans who refuse to act like them. Republicans should protect free speech, association, and its public exercise. And yet there are those who will not.

Whatever, Stephen, do you mean?

New Hampshire passed a buffer zone law a while back. It allows private property owners to declare exercises of free speech on adjacent public property as a safety hazard. Its actual purpose is to allow abortion providers the power to infringe on the free speech rights to which they object. Are offended by, even. 

As Ellen Kolb notes here,

The law has never been used since its passage in 2014, possibly due to the certainty of litigation in view of the U.S. Supreme Court’s McCullen decision. The 2014 decision was based on the fact that Massachusetts had failed to enforce less restrictive measures, such as laws against harassment and disorderly conduct, before imposing restrictions on the First Amendment rights of peaceful pro-life witnesses outside abortion facilities.

The law cannot be used. It will never be used. The moment it is exercised a lawsuit will rise to challenge the abuse, and that law will get thrown out. Any actual Republican knows this.

So, Why Support an Unconstitutional Law?

Yes, Republicans are currently in the minority. They cannot advance anything in the legislature without Democrat help. At the same time, there’s no need to help them. But that has not stopped House Reps who ran and were elected as Republicans from doing just that.

Votes that suddenly have meaning to Republicans in the towns they claim to represent. 

We are here for the principles. Your party registration does not protect you from scrutiny. So, why support the unconstitutional law? Here’s a hint. Not one New Hampshire Democrat voted to salvage the repeal effort. They all voted to protect the unconstitutional law.

Naming Names

Ellen shared the list but here is again. We encourage voters in these districts to make a note of these votes or any commentary by your reps in defense of them and send them our way.

A yea vote was to kill a repeal of the useless law.