Travis O’Hara isn’t technically a bad Republican vote. If and when he shows up (not showing up for crucial votes is certainly bad), his HRA score for 2023 was a hair over 90%. You judge what that means, but as you do, please also consider his ready embrace of progressive language.
In his recent defense of a vote to let municipalities milk citizens who pursue public documents (HB1002), he was quick to embrace Liberal smears.
For the record, I’m not saying there are no frivolous witch hunts, but shouldn’t ensuring transparency and access to the business of their government supersede that? Why is it better to fine everyone in every instance for what may be a paltry few cases of ill will meant to slow down the gears of government for no legitimate purpose?
If you’d like to know what extremist is, it might be Republicans choosing a new levy for the government before the transparency interests of people who can’t afford it.
Related: HB1002 Passes The House: These Republicans Voted for a New “Tax” on Public Records Access (Update)
HB1002 will make open government untenable for many middle and low-income constituents, creating inequities that limit access or any in-depth investigation or scrutiny to only those who can afford it. People of means, well-funded NGOs, lobbyists, and a few deep-pocketed activist groups. Those whose very interaction with the government likely deserves more public scrutiny.
And has it occurred to no one who supports this bill that it will encourage the behavior that municipal supporters seek to hide from their citizens, and are you prepared to argue that this is not the case? Nashua, Rochester, and Londonderry come immediately to mind as recent trouble spots, but there are others.
So, perhaps what is extreme is that GraniteGrok is more willing to stand up for citizens against their government, but if the extremism reference is more general, let’s cover that before we close.
What is extremist about defending free speech, the right to self-defense, medical freedom, bodily autonomy, property rights, women’s safe spaces, low taxes, education freedom, limited government, and affordable food and energy? We fight for the rights of farmers, police and first responders, veterans, and children.
We unapologetically defend the US and New Hampshire Constitutions and those who do likewise and, in the case of the right to know, side with citizens over the government, which, as a matter of process, like the constitution themselves, serve to constrain potential abuses of power or subject them to sunlight by ensuring the press and public can, at any time investigate and potentially expose bad behavior.
There is a reconsideration vote this week on HB1002.
Travis is prepared to vote for it another 100 times, but we hope that most Republicans will recognize that his is the extreme position. HB1002 will make the government less transparent, less accessible, and less accountable. Is that what you were elected to do in Concord, or was it the reverse?
One more point. Two recent Nackey Loeb School First Amendment award winners (Donna Green and Laurie Ortolano – both contributors to GraniteGrok) won that award for taking right-to-know public document obstruction cases to the State Supreme Court and winning.
Not everyone can afford that, an inequity HB1002 brings down to street level.