In a joint House-Senate committee today, the Senate openly carried out the governor’s bidding by adding language to the budget that would make his emergency powers fundamentally stronger than they have been over the past 15 months while including only nominal checks from the Legislature that functionally will not work to limit the governor’s power.
Unfortunately, House members sheepishly went along with their Senate counterparts and agreed to the language (Text of the Amendment).
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You can watch the committee discuss the language and Sen. Bradley literally asks for the governor’s opinion on a particular line in the amendment to make sure they got it right, according to his specifications. The last time we checked, the Legislature passes laws and the governor obeys them, not the other way around. This disgusting lack of courage could cost the Legislature passage of their budget, and there is no one to blame but Sen. President Chuck Morse and Sen. Leader Jeb Bradley, who are literally doing the governor’s bidding.
The amendment that the committee added to the budget would increase a State of Emergency from 21 days to 30 days, and continue to give the governor unlimited renewals of his own emergency powers. The House version allowed the governor to enact one 30-day State of Emergency and then the Legislature would have had a role in deciding whether it needed to continue, which is the check on the governor that is needed.
Both versions would allow the Legislature to vote down an individual emergency order, but because of House and Senate rules, filing such a resolution could require a supermajority. The language approved today effectively denies the balance of powers in government that our constitution requires.
The Senate and House are going to be working on the budget again starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow, so conceivably changes can still be made leading up to an early deadline tomorrow. Without any changes, the language is unacceptable and we cannot support the budget.
The best thing you can do right now is call the Senate Majority Office at 603-271-2111 and ask them to restore the House version of the emergency powers reforms that gives the Legislature the ability to vote on whether to extend a State of Emergency. You can also email Sen. Morse at chuck.morse@leg.state.nh.us and Sen. Bradley at jeb.bradley@leg.state.nh.us and ask them to follow the will of the people they represent and not the governor whose power they are constitutionally obligated to check.
Without the changes we are asking for, we are asking our House-endorsed representatives to vote against this budget.
Featured Image “tweaked” after a suggestion from a reader.
