When I discovered Friday morning that NH Governor Chris Sununu had HB1625, the Sidewalk Free Speech Act on his desk I knew that he would veto or sign the bill that afternoon, right before the long holiday weekend hoping no one would notice. But I wasn’t going to let it pass unnoticed.
I sent out alerts and I was grateful that many called to ask him to sign the bill to repeal the buffer zone law that allows private abortion businesses to designate up to 25 feet of the sidewalk and street as no-free-speech zones.
However, in the end, the liar, who had promised when he was first running for governor to sign a bill to repeal the buffer zone law, vetoed HB1625. And he proved how corrupt he is with his veto message:
In the eight years since this law was originally enacted, we know of no instance where an individual or group has been harmed by it. As a result, I am not looking to make any changes at this time.
There are so many lies and omissions in that message.
It begs the question of who does the buffer zone law help? There are no buffer zones around abortion businesses and there have never been any buffer zones in the state.
Related: Tell NH Governor Chris Sununu to Stop Gaslighting Us and Vetoing Good Bills
He says “we know of no instance where an individual or group has been harmed by it” but how does he define “harmed”?
What about the harm of the liability to the State of New Hampshire? Sununu said he would veto HB1431, the Parental Rights Bill if it came to his desk because he claimed to be concerned about the liability to schools. What about the liability of the state having to defend an unconstitutional buffer zone? Any abortion business could post a buffer zone and the state would be on the hook to defend it.
In addition to the expense of defending an unconstitutional law, the state is liable for attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs that sued the state over the loss of their constitutional rights. Massachusetts had to pay $1.2 million to the plaintiffs’ attorneys in McCullen v Coakley when the Massachusetts buffer zone law was unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.
What about the harm of a tyrannical government? In his recent veto message for HB1131, the ban on school mask mandates, he said “One of the State’s foremost responsibilities is to know the limits of its power.” The buffer zone law allows the state to hand over control of the public sidewalks to private abortion businesses. That is a huge power grab by the state.
What about the harm to freedom of speech? Any attack on freedom of speech is an attack on everyone’s freedom of speech. Today they come for the speech of those who pray and witness and offer help outside abortion facilities. Tomorrow they will come for your freedom of speech.
Governor Sununu’s veto doesn’t help anyone and leaves the state saddled with a law that creates huge liability, is an enormous power grab by the state, and a disgusting attack on our freedom of speech, and claims there is no harm done. It’s such bald-faced lying on top of his reneging on his promise to sign the bill.
Who could ever believe anything Sununu ever says again?
Learn more about the buffer zone law at Top 10 Reasons Why the NH Buffer Zone Law Must Be Repealed and follow Stop the NH Buffer Zone on Facebook.
