You’ll remember just last week Representative Tamara Le, D-North Hampton, went on a Facebook tirade that ended with “F*** private and religious schools.” After the story was brought to you by GraniteGrok and NH Journal (who first broke the story,) over 600 petitions demanding Le’s removal from the Education Committee were delivered to Speaker Shurtleff by the New Hampshire Republican State Committee (NHGOP.)
You didn’t see it on WMUR, or in the Union Leader, or even the Concord Monitor. I wouldn’t be surprised if you read about Burt’s removal there, though.
Shurtleff lacked the political courage to remove her from the Education Committee and instead opted to ‘suspend’ her from the committee for 3 months. A suspension that comes when the committee hardly meets. She will be able to rejoin the committee in early February, during peak hearing season, and will get to vote on most of the bills that come through that committee. Her open hostility to private and religious schools is an affront to every student, teacher, and parent that attends, works at, or supports those institutions.
Don’t forget that families that opt for private or religious school STILL pay for YOUR public education and then have to pay for their private education on top of that.
But, Speaker Shurtleff DID find the backbone to ban two Republican lawmakers from their committees this year. Just today, Shurtleff removed John Burt, R-Goffstown, from the Criminal Justice Committee. Earlier this year James Spillane was ousted from his committee assignment after a Facebook post showed a squirrel he had shot on his property.
Burt, an avid and outspoken 2A supporter, held a press conference recently criticizing the outgoing Fish and Game Department leader. This presumably led to his ouster on the Crim. Justice Cmte, the committee that hears and makes recommendations on most firearm related bills that move to the House floor. Next year there will be a slew of already introduced gun control bills moving through that committee.
This is a clearly hypocritical and cowardly move by Speaker Shurtleff. Republican Leader Hinch said “for the Speaker to not apply the same standard, or a higher standard, to members of his own team shows how partisan his administration has become. The Speaker must be more worried about his reelection and backlash from the progressive wing of his caucus than he is about holding all members to equal standards.”
Bingo.
You can call Speaker Shurtleff at 603.753.4563, or email at steve.shurtleff@leg.state.nh.us
Remember, come election time 2020, who these Democrats are. Pay attention. And, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” (Maya Angelou, and frequently quoted by Democrats, remember?)
Release issued by Leader Hinch:
CONCORD – House Republican Leader Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack) issued a statement after learning that House Speaker Stephen Shurtleff (D-Concord) had removed Rep. John Burt (R-Goffstown) from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee.
“Rep. Burt had serious concerns about how the Fish and Game Department was being managed, and he has a right to express those views, which he did without the use of vulgarity. His removal is a convenient distraction from the fact that a member of the Speaker’s leadership team used profanity towards private and religious schools, and gets an inconsequential suspension. Frankly, this is a double standard,” Hinch said. “Using profanity towards institutions that educate thousands of New Hampshire students is beyond the pale. For the Speaker to not apply the same standard, or a higher standard, to members of his own team shows how partisan his administration has become. The Speaker must be more worried about his reelection and backlash from the progressive wing of his caucus than he is about holding all members to equal standards.”
“The Speaker’s anti-second amendment allies are busy filing several bills for next year that will be before the Criminal Justice committee, and I’m sure they take satisfaction in silencing a strong advocate from the committee. I’ve always known John to act in good faith in committee, and it’s unfortunate that they’ve tied his committee membership to opinions unrelated to the work and policy scope of his committee.”
(According to information released by the New Hampshire Department of Education, across New Hampshire, educators in more than 130 non-public schools are teaching more than 16,000 students, from pre-school to post-graduate.)
(Rep. Tamara Le serves as an Assistant Majority Floor Leader.)
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For Immediate Release
November 7, 2019
Contact 603-271-3665