HB1159 relative to cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and doxxing of a public servant
Recommendation: ITL – Inexpedient to Legislate
Mr. Chairman and Distinguished Members of this House Committee:
I come before you today to speak in opposition to HB 1159. I urge you to vote “inexpedient to legislate” and place this legislative proposal into the dustbin of New Hampshire history.
As someone who just completed a four-year term of office as a school board member in Nashua New Hampshire, I am very familiar with the concerns addressed in this legislative proposal.
As I was running for re-election this past fall, I was viciously attacked on a social media platform by someone I had never met or had ever spoken with, their name is REP. JAN SCHMIDT. Despite this vicious attack, I continue to ask that you ITL this legislative proposal.
Free speech and criticism of elected officials must continue to be the rule of law. No public official is above criticism or above the law. If you approve this bill, you take us one step closer to tyranny.
Permit me to share with you the comments directed at me and four other citizens running for office, including one other office holder. In a Facebook posting, REP. SCHMIDT said I was one of “the evil five” running for the Nashua School Board.
You and I as publicly elected officials are subject to public criticism for our actions while in office. This is part of the job and it goes with the territory. Like my mother would say, “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
I don’t know about you, but I found it disingenuous and totally hypocritical to learn that REP. SCHMIDT, who directed these comments at me, actually sits on this committee and is one of HB 1159’s co-sponsors.
As if this wasn’t enough of an insult to the public, REP. SCHMIDT finds it acceptable to park her car in a handicap parking space without displaying a state issued permit. REP. SCHMIDT was offended when photos of her unlawful act were published. This is not an allegation.
I witnessed it at the Nashua City Hall and took the photos on the next page.
REP. SCHMIDT uses Facebook to further her political positions, yet blocks Nashua constituents that disagree with her. REP. SCHMIDT is a cyber bully. She criticizes others but is not willing to accept criticism of herself.
In a despicable act of bravado and defiance, this so-called representative of the people has the chutzpah to demand via this legislation that any criticism of her becomes a violation of law. As a further insult to the public, she co-sponsored HB 1307 -FN, which seeks to charge the public for the fulfillment of Right-To-Know requests, ALLOWING ONLY THE RICH TO HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
Representatives, please ITL this legislation.
REP. SCHMIDT, please recuse yourself on this legislation. Additionally, do the voters of Nashua a service and resign from both of your offices. You have disgraced us enough.
Thank you all for listening. I am pleased to take any questions.
BY Howard Coffman
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Skip, here.
NH State Rep Jan Schmidt, during her testimony as a sponsor of this bill, said that “someone” had put up a picture of her car in a handicap space in trying to bully/shame her – (it was us!)
Sidenote: you’re not the only State Rep we’ve caught doing so – or speeding on the highway so don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought.
Anyways, she passed it off as such and simply said “Oh, my placard must have slipped” in tossing off the incident. I’m not surprised at her explanation as it is a technique that she seems to use often – a form of passive-aggressive deflection so as to put herself in the position of never being that anything is ever her fault. But those OTHER people – well, I’m a victim and they are oppressing me!
So anyways, she mentioned them so here is her car again:
