We learned that State Representative Matthew (Matt) Coker (R-Meredith) officially switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. The Republican Caucus welcomed him warmly and looks forward to working with him to serve his constituents with integrity and conviction.
A House Republican press release stated, “Representative Coker’s transition to the Republican Party underscores the inclusive nature of the GOP, which prioritizes diversity of thought and welcomes individuals from all walks of life who share a common vision for a prosperous and vibrant New Hampshire.” You could say they put out the “Welcome Matt.”
We learned that the Consulat général du Canada à Boston is celebrating its 75th Anniversary! And to celebrate, we had a visit and speech from Consul General Bernadette Jordan who spoke about our northern border, our trade relationship, and our working together. With her was Deputy Ambassador Arun Alexander. Speaker Packard presented the Consul General with a declaration recognizing the 75th anniversary. The Consul General even treated us to lunch in the cafeteria. Sadly, there was no poutine. However, they did leave us maple candies at each table.
We learned that a bill that passed on February 1st was brought back for reconsideration after Rep Lisa Smart (R-Meredith) filed a motion for reconsideration after the House session after voting on the prevailing side. HB1002 passed last week 193-179. This bill allows public bodies to charge $25 an hour for documents requested under the Right to Know law if it takes over 10 hours to gather said documents. Anyway, the motion to reconsider passed 195-183. Then, a motion to Table failed 126-254, after which the bill was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. Let’s see what they do to it there. It seems to me this bill will be totally ineffective because people will merely submit these large requests in smaller chunks to get around paying a fee.
We also learned that the 3 high-profile bills of the day yielded two losses and one win for School Choice in NH, even as almost all members of the Republican caucus wore yellow scarves in support of School Choice. First was HB1561, which failed 197-185. HB1561, relative to qualifications for student eligibility in the Education Freedom Accounts program, would have allowed students who are having difficulties in their school to qualify for the Education Freedom Account program, no matter what the family income bracket is. Children of families outside of the income cap, who are in vulnerable student groups, apparently do not have a chance to succeed, according to 197 who voted NO on Ought To Pass. All Democrats and 10 Republicans would rather pour money into systems failing these kids instead of investing in alternatives to help these kids succeed.
Additionally, we learned that HB1634 failed with a vote of 194-186 against the OTP motion, which would have made EFA’s universal and removed the income cap completely. All Democrats and 7 Republicans kept this bill from passing. After taking a lunch break, we came back, and thankfully, the third time was the charm. HB1665 passed 190-189 with 1 Democrat voting Yes and 4 Republicans voting No. This bill will change the income cap for eligibility from 350% to 500% of the federal poverty level guidelines. All votes on these three bills were roll-called. It appears people vote better on a full stomach.
We learned that slavery was back in the bill docket as we voted on HB1580. That bill would have prevented government procurement of electric vehicles containing components created through the use of forced labor. The ITL motion passed 294-84 and the bill failed primarily because it can’t really be determined what components of an EV would have been produced by forced labor. The bill was well-meaning but just not workable… unless we ban anything produced in places like China, etc.…. And why just stop at EVs? What about other stuff the state buys that’s made in places that utilize forced labor, like China?
We learned that HB1116 passed 221-157. This bill updates current law to remove the restriction on the action of the rifle and adds the use of straight-walled pistol cartridges of .357 or greater. The majority of the Fish and Game committee agreed that the action of the rifle has a negligible impact on the ballistics or power of the pistol round fired. They also thought that adding more options for hunters allowed for greater accuracy and safety. Of course, Democrats, who are clueless about firearms in general, just couldn’t bear the thought of firearms expansion with this bill. I guess you could say they were gun-shy.
We learned that a bill (HB1662) that would have prohibited certain Health and Human Services department members from having simultaneous employment with adoption or child placement agencies failed to pass. The ITL motion passed 190-187. 183 Democrats and 7 Republicans did not think that any kind of conflict of interest could happen. Perhaps we can sell them a bridge too.
We also learned that HB1049 was not only killed, but was Indefinitely Postponed with a vote of 324-53. This bill would have allowed overnight mooring of houseboats on bodies of water held in public trust, otherwise known as inland waters over 10 acres in size. House members received hundreds of emails from people on Lake Winnipesaukee asking to kill this bill because they didn’t want people lingering overnight, polluting the lake with trash and sewage, or partying and making a nuisance. I was afraid that we might not have had the time to vote on this bill because, clearly, we were still reading all of the hundreds of emails sent to us.
We learned that HB1700 failed to move on after an ITL motion passed 315-58. This bill would have prohibited the intentional release of polluting emissions, including cloud seeding, weather modification, excessive electromagnetic radio frequency, and microwave radiation into our skies. The bill included stiff penalties for violations. Now on its face it’s a good idea not to want to have all kinds of chemicals sprayed above us, but this bill identified a very wide range of items, some of which have not been proven to be harmful. Additionally, the reporting mechanism and enforcement were just not ready for prime time. That being said, my feeling is that in the near future, this issue should be something we should look at more closely for workable legislation and not just allow this to dissipate into thin air.
We learned that some people thought that HB1062 was a frivolous bill. It clarifies how “cover plates” on your vehicle can be used. It states that it is OK for you to use your cover plate on one end of your vehicle and your regular license plate on the other. It passed 198-177. So, frivolity wins!
Finally, we learned that a bill pulled off the Consent Calendar (HB1228) which was ITL’d in committee 15-2 was then summarily ITL’d 312-61 in the House. This bill had to do with establishing a fish and game guide committee to determine qualifications for fish and game guides. Apparently, folks are upset that applicants are failing licensure tests because they are having trouble due to learning styles and problems with the oral testing. This bill didn’t really address the issue, and perhaps it’s a better idea that instead of passing a new law, NH Fish and Game should collaborate with the Dept. of Education on how to do an effective evaluation of skills. At the end of the day, we don’t want to lower standards and allow people to pass these exams who cannot read maps or perform other necessary skills, so that we can fill positions.
There’s more to come next week…