We learned that it was a very disappointing day for House Republicans and we lost many good bills either to Inexpedient To Legislate (ITL) or to the Table, and had some really bad bills move onto the Senate. House Democrats had many wins. Again, numbers matter.
We learned that one bill can take as much as an hour and 15 minutes to work through, as we started off the morning with a special ordered bill. HB49 was a Finance bill which had to do with the closure date of the Sununu Youth Services Center. Two amendments were passed on this bill with regard to plans on how to deal with the closure, the finances, departmental/agency responsibilities of dealing with new care management of at risk youth, and a new 18 bed facility. Let’s hope that with this legislation the broken mess of how the State deals with these troubled kids will improve. We’re certainly throwing enough money at it, some of it federal, and some of it state money ($21.6 million).
We learned that we couldn’t get any good health bills passed today as three were ITL’d and one was tabled. HB557, regarding removing the rulemaking authority of Dept. of Health and Human Service with regard to immunization requirements beyond the diseases mentioned in statute. The roll called Ought To Pass (OTP) motion of that bill died 184-193, and then the subsequent ITL motion passed 194-185. The status quo of DHHS making vaccine requirements remains a sure shot.
Additionally, we learned that HB575 was ITL’d with a roll called vote of 192-186. That bill would have prevented the purchase, promotion, and distribution of vaccine and pharma products, by the state and its political subdivisions, which have not been tested with voluntary human, clinical trials. So the State can continue using our citizens as guinea pigs and taxpayer money can be used to promote untested experimental drugs and vaccines for Big Pharma.
Then we learned that HB582 died with an ITL vote of 205-177. This bill would have allowed us to finally just be able to get a count (with no names attached) of how many abortions are actually performed in New Hampshire. House Democrats do not want you to know… because of privacy … or something. After that, we Tabled HB615 with a vote of 354-29 which would have required independent audits of reproductive healthcare facilities, so we could determine whether there is true fiscal separation between family planning activities and providing abortions. Remember we didn’t want tax dollars paying for abortions in these facilities? Audits would help prove that.
We learned that CACR2 did not garner the required 3/5ths votes to pass, but the OTP motion ended up 193-191 on a roll call vote. This bill would have proposed a constitutional amendment to establish a state constitutional right to “reproductive autonomy” and provide that such right could not be denied or infringed “unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. No matter… this unnecessary bill was aborted.
We learned that HB88 passed with an OTP vote of 199-185. This bill adds a provision to the fetal life protection act (FLPA) that was passed in the last biennium. House Democrats wanted to be assured that they can have an absolute statutory right to an abortion before the 24 weeks, since Roe V Wade was reversed. It’s dumb because the FLPA already allows for anyone to have an abortion for any reason before 24 weeks.
We learned that HB224 also passed on a roll called vote for OTP of 205-178. This bill removes the criminal and civil penalties for doctors who perform an illegal abortion under the provisions of FLPA. Interesting to note that House Democrats passed HB231 last session to punish veterinarians with civil penalties for declawing a cat, but voted today to remove criminal and civil penalties for doctors who abort healthy babies after 24 weeks (6 months) gestation. They apparently wish to give cats better protection than human beings in the womb.
We learned that HB271, repealing the Fetal Life Protection Act (FLPA), narrowly died when the roll called OTP vote ended in a tie 192-192 and was subsequently Tabled by a voice vote. You can see who wants absolute unconditional abortion in NH by looking at the roll call votes on this.
We learned that HB562, requiring informed consent prior to having an abortion was ITL’d by a voice vote. Also HB591, the prohibition of abortion after detection of fetal heartbeat was ITL’d 271-110. There were Republicans who voted to ITL the bill because they feel our current law of a 24 week ban with the Fetal Life Protection Act reflects what most NH voters (even pro choice people) feel is reasonable with regard to abortion. Rep. Candace Moulton (D-Manchester) said in her floor speech that she was giving us a science lesson and that the heartbeat is actually just an electrical signal between ions and not an indication of life. She’s a registered nurse and certified teacher who has a bachelors in biochemistry and nursing – so she should know. Trust the science… right?
We learned that CACR4 also could not garner 3/5ths required vote to pass. You will be able to see, through roll call votes, which of your elected House members want $5000 instead of $200 for their services. After a tabling motion failed, the bill was ITL’d 239-145. The majority felt they wanted to keep the tradition of $200 pay and remain a voluntary legislature. Rep. Walter Stapleton (R-Claremont) said that we have many great traditions in the House but this is not one of them. Supporters seeking this “inflationary upgrade” to the pay level said that this was not a raise in pay – just an update. Yeah – a $2.3 million dollar upgrade, at taxpayers expense.
Finally, we learned that HB142 relative to the operation of the Burgess biomass powerplant passed OTP 269-109. We can now throw more money ($48 million) at this unsustainable facility in Berlin and help them to reset the contractual terms of their purchase power agreement with Eversource. Yes, a bailout helps the local economy and the timber industry in the North Country, but no doubt Burgess will be in the same financial mess with Eversource in a year or two, as they were 2 years ago. Federally, taxpayers bail out banks, but here in NH we bail out biomass plants.
Up next on April 6th will be House votes on the Biennium Budget and is a House deadline for all bills that was set in January. I will not be reporting on this House Session as I will not be in attendance. It will be the first House session that I have missed since I was elected in Nov. 2018. It is Passover on April 6th, and I will be celebrating this important holiday with my family. It is the Exodus from Egypt… from slavery to freedom.
