If you missed it, we are opposed to HB1002, which would charge citizens for access to public records and, in some instances, charge them a lot for information that is theirs. We find it offensive and an invitation for abuse by the municipalities whose indifference and inefficacy resulted in the bill.
HB1002’s roots are tangled up with towns like Londonderry and Nashua. Places that go out of their way to waste mounds of time and money to make records request something people will no longer be bothered. They make it unpleasant because they don’t want government transparency. They don’t believe you have a right to see what they are doing. They will happily wait for you to sue them, which most won’t do because it is expensive, but the towns are not wasting their money.
And that works. People stop trying to hold municipalities accountable. Adding a fee to the process exacerbates the problem while turning the process into a revenue stream.
I understand that some requests will result in a legitimate commitment of time or resources, but under no circumstance should you encourage any public body to further dissuade transparency with a fine, fee, or – as I like to call it – a public records tax.
Towns most in need of scrutiny will become less accountable and profit from the practice.
The NH House has passed this bill with significant Republican support, without which it would have failed. I cannot speak to the motivations or understanding of each legislator or the reason for their yea vote.
There are more than a few excellent reps on this list, some of them friends of mine, and if any of them belong to you, feel free to ask as politely as you can why they support this. Or, better yet, why would they risk what this represents to transparent government and local accountability?
Abare, Kimberly(R) Hills. 1Yea
Ankarberg, Aidan(R) Straf. 7Yea
Aylward, Deborah(R) Merr. 5Yea
Ball, Lorie(R) Rock. 25Yea
Bean, Harry(R) Belk. 6Yea
Bogert, Steven(R) Belk. 5Yea
Bordes, Mike(R) Belk. 5Yea
Boyd, Bill(R) Hills. 12Yea
Crawford, Karel(R) Carr. 3Yea
Creighton, Jim(R) Hills. 30Yea
Davis, Arnold(R) Coos 2Yea
DeSimone, Debra(R) Rock. 18Yea
Dolan, Tom(R) Rock. 16Yea
Dumais, Russell(R) Belk. 6Yea
Dunn, Ron(R) Rock. 16Yea
Edwards, Jess(R) Rock. 31Yea
Emerick, Tracy(R) Rock. 29Yea
Foote, Charles(R) Rock. 13Yea
Ford, Oliver(R) Rock. 3Yea
Guthrie, Joseph(R) Rock. 15Yea
Harb, Robert(R) Rock. 20Yea
Harley, Tina(R) Rock. 30Yea
Healey, Robert(R) Hills. 12Yea
Hunt, John(R) Ches. 14Yea
Janigian, John(R) Rock. 25Yea
Katsakiores, Phyllis(R) Rock. 13Yea
Kuttab, Katelyn(R) Rock. 17Yea
Ladd, Rick(R) Graf. 5Yea
Lascelles, Richard(R) Hills. 14Yea
Leavitt, John(R) Merr. 10Yea
Lundgren, David(R) Rock. 16Yea
Lynn, Bob(R) Rock. 17Yea
MacDonald, John(R) Carr. 6Yea
MacDonald, Wayne(R) Rock. 16Yea
Mason, James(R) Merr. 3Yea
McConkey, Mark(R) Carr. 8Yea
Melvin, Charles(R) Rock. 20Yea
Milz, David(R) Rock. 13Yea
Mooney, Maureen(R) Hills. 12Yea
Nelson, Jodi(R) Rock. 13Yea
O’Hara, Travis(R) Belk. 4Yea
Ouellet, Mike(R) Coos 3Yea
Pearson, Mark(R) Rock. 34Yea
Pearson, Stephen(R) Rock. 13Yea
Plett, Fred(R) Hills. 29Yea
Pratt, Kevin(R) Rock. 4Yea
Proulx, Mark(R) Hills. 15Yea
Rhodes, Jennifer(R) Ches. 17Yea
Rollins, Skip(R) Sull. 3Yea
Smart, Lisa(R) Belk. 2Yea
Smith, Steven(R) Sull. 3Yea
Spilsbury, Walter(R) Sull. 3Yea
Stapleton, Walter(R) Sull. 6Yea
Stone, Jonathan(R) Sull. 8Yea
Summers, James(R) Rock. 20Yea
Sytek, John(R) Rock. 25Yea
Thackston, Dick(R) Ches. 12Yea
Thomas, Douglas(R) Rock. 16Yea
Tierney, James(R) Coos 1Yea
Tripp, Richard(R) Rock. 13Yea
Ulery, Jordan(R) Hills. 13Yea
Walsh, Lilli(R) Rock. 15Yea
Wolf, Dan(R) Merr. 7Yea
HB1002 moves to the NH State Senate, where we must stop it.
(Update)
On February 1, 2024 at 5:45 p.m., Representative Lisa Smart, having voted with the prevailing side, served notice of reconsideration on the motion of Ought to Pass with Amendment on HB 1002, which the House passed on a roll call vote of 193-179.
— NH House Clerk (@nhhouseclerk) February 1, 2024
HB1002 will be reconsidered next week. Reach out and touch someone (figuratively) if you think they voted the wrong way.
Julie Smith contributed to this piece.