From: Belknap County (NH) Republican Committee
Date: June 6, 2022
For more information: Rep. Paul Terry / 401-648-1607
The Belknap County Republican Committee’s (BCRC) Executive Committee voted unanimously to condemn the New Hampshire House’s rejection of HB 1431, the Parent’s Bill of Rights, on May 26. The bill was defeated 171-176, following the New Hampshire Senate’s 14-10 approval a short while earlier the same day.
“This common-sense bill sought to restore and secure historic natural and constitutional rights of parents. Parents should know and provide consent to the ways in which their children are being educated by people who they are paying,” said Chair and State Representative Norm Silber (R-Gilford).
Vice Chair and State Representative Paul Terry (R-Alton) added:
“Parents deserve transparency and accountability. Instead, we learned that all too often parents are being kept in the dark about what schools are teaching their children. Worse, school officials are either denying information or erecting numerous roadblocks for parents to attempt to overcome.”
The Parents Bill of Rights was filed by Representative Terry and was co-sponsored by several Belknap Representatives, including Representatives Hough (Laconia), Johnson (Laconia) and Silber. Supported by numerous pro-family and pro-parents’ groups, it had survived a tortuous process during which it was vehemently opposed by House Child and Family Law Committee Chairperson, Kimberly Rice (R-Hudson) and Committee Vice Chairperson, Debra DeSimone (R-Atkinson), but received timely backing from House Majority Leader Jason Osborn (R–Auburn) and Senator Bob Giuda (R-Warren).
All Senate Republicans voted to advance the bill. Fourteen House Republicans joined all House Democrats to defeat the bill, just one step away from sending it to Governor Sununu. All Belknap County Representatives voted Yes, except Representatives Mike Bordes (R-Laconia) who voted No, and Travis O’Hara, who was neither present nor excused.
Chair and Rep. Silber joined with Vice Chair and Rep. Terry in blasting the fourteen House Republicans who voted to kill the bill, as well as House Republicans who “took a walk” and did not vote:
“These Republicans handed victory to a coalition made up of Democrats, school-aligned and allied groups. It did not help, too, that Governor Sununu shockingly threatened he would veto the bill if the House dared to passed it.”
Silber and Terry said:
“Like all people, we believe schools should be places for our children to learn and grow, but we do not believe schools should be “safe spaces” for adults to practice secrecy, deception and grooming. Parents should not be branded as enemies for seeking to know what and how their children are being taught, and how they are being treated while under school supervision. We are neither anti-schools, nor anti-teachers. What we are is pro-honesty and pro-integrity, both of which are shockingly absent in so many places and for so many of our parents and kids.”
Assuming Republicans are reelected to House and Senate majorities in November, a Parent’s Bill of Rights is sure to be reintroduced. Rep. Terry said:
“Perhaps next year we will have more Republicans who will actually support the pro-family and pro-parent planks in the Republican State Party Platform. This term we were failed and betrayed by a few who were supposed to be our own.”
