We learned that the House needed a lesson on microphone etiquette. The General Court Technical Services (GCTS) Team came to work on the microphones prior to the House session and shared some tips and techniques with our House Clerk, Paul Smith.
Our House Clerk walked us all through proper distancing microphone techniques for when we come up to speak at “the well.” Now, we can all hear those floor speeches that go way past three minutes and lose everyone’s attention much better.
We also learned about the good work accomplished by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D-Hanover), who passed away on February 10, 2024. Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D-Merrimack) shared memories about Rep. Nordgren, and the House welcomed family members attending in the upstairs gallery.
We learned that we covered a lot of ground this week with 40 or so bills and lots of motions to vote on. So let’s get into it.
The House agreed to expand the area in which law enforcement would need a search warrant. HB1204 and its amendment protect privacy from government intrusion outside of the home on the person’s property. If the property is posted or has “No Trespassing” signs, then law enforcement would need to obtain a warrant. The bill passed 228-139. Now, get off my lawn.
HB1276 passed 198-175. This bill repeals the prohibition on the sale and possession of blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles… except to minors. Rep. Dennis Mannion (R-Salem) explained how these small, lightweight self-defense tools are useful for people like joggers who are out running or others who may be hiking out in secluded areas. Of course, Rep. David Meuse (D-Portsmouth) believes that every school child will get one of these items and crack open someone’s cranium and that there will be a big rush to the slung shot store, resulting in everyone engaged in crime and street fighting after passage of this bill.
We also learned that a voice vote tabled HB1336. There was just too much controversy regarding making it allowable for an employee to keep a loaded firearm in his personal locked vehicle while at work. The bill would also remove any civil liability on the part of the employer should there be an illegal use of that firearm by a third party – as in if the car or firearm was stolen from the parking lot. This was where 2nd Amendment rights interfered with property rights. While 2nd amendment rights should not be infringed, we also cannot dictate to a property owner/employer what he can or cannot allow on his business property (parking lot).
Additionally, we learned that the bill that House Democrats filed, HB1162, to try to repeal the prohibition of Critical Race Theory (CRT) (and similar curriculum) from being taught in our schools (RSA 193:40) was Indefinitely Postponed with a vote of 192-183. House Democrats wanted to repeal laws that prevent any public employee from teaching, advocating, or advancing that people of one age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, and more are inherently racist. They wanted to repeal provisions in the law that grant the right of freedom from discrimination in public workplaces and education. They kept trying to say that teachers can’t teach about the Holocaust or Jim Crow Laws, etc., but we all know that is not true at all. Since RSA 193:40 was enacted in 2021, the teaching of history hasn’t changed at all. The truth is that it is one thing to teach ABOUT hate and a completely other thing to teach kids HOW to hate. Teaching kids HOW to hate is what CRT (and curriculum like it) does. House Dems apparently are good with that.
We learned that HB1305 ultimately passed with its amendments (206-169) after some brilliant strategy by Rep. Jason Osborne (R-Auburn). This bill was all about securing freedom of speech on our college campuses. After the motion to pass the amendment 2024-0654h failed (181 Y-182 N) because House members had left the chamber and could not vote, Rep. Osborne called for Reconsideration, at which point members had returned to the House Chamber. Reconsideration passed 189-183 and then the Amendment was voted on again where it passed 192-182. Another amendment, 2024-1094h, also passed 197-175, and then the bill passed OTP/A. It is important to note that this was a bi-partisan vote, and members Rep. Jonah Wheeler (D–Peterborough) and Rep. Valerie McDonnell (R-Salem) both spoke in favor of the bill and the importance of free speech on college campuses. The big take away was in order to get good bills passed, members must remain in their seats and not wander off to practice their free speech in the ante room..
We further learned that a bill that should have died, but didn’t, was HB1311. This bill requires school districts to adopt policies for library collection development that would prohibit forbidding acquiring or prohibiting materials based on an author’s “protected class.” It would also allow the administration to reject parental complaints about inappropriate materials. An attempt to Indefinitely Postpone this bill failed (185 Y-190 N) even after Rep. Rick Ladd (R-Haverhill) said, “If I know it’s time to clean up our libraries, I would press green”. Then, after that vote, House Democrats and 8 Republicans voted Ought To Pass on this awful bill (194 Y-180 N). It appears House Democrats are hell-bent on keeping age-inappropriate materials in our schools because they feel it allows our children to “explore and expand their minds.” So when it comes to pornography and graphic violent material …. “it’s for the children.”
HB1312 passed 186 Y-185 N. This bill requires parental notification of student health or well-being and certain curricula by school districts. More robust opt-out procedures and advance notice were included, along with prohibiting a district from adopting a policy that prohibits school personnel from answering parents’ questions about their child’s physical, mental, or emotional health, sexuality, or changes in related services. All House Democrats and 3 Republicans voted against this pro-parent bill. It was roll called so you can see who supports parents.
There were two attacks against the Education Freedom Account program in the form of HB1512 and HB1594. Both were Indefinitely postponed 187-185 and 189-184, respectively. One bill tried to limit the budget allocation of the EFA program, and the other tried to establish an annual review of eligibility qualifications for EFA families. Annual changes in income might have created the possibility of kids becoming “yo-yos” as they could be tossed in and out of the program based on annual changes in eligibility. All Democrats voted in lockstep to try to undermine this successful and nationally acclaimed school choice program…. Because you know, “it’s for the kids”.
We learned that a number of good election law bills passed: HB1146, which allows a voter to remove themself from the voter checklist – like when they move out of town or out of state. That passed 186-183. Then HB1348 passed 191-183 with an amendment. That bill allows for a candidate to apply for a recount if the total count of ballots exceeds the total number of registered voters. The HB1369 passed 191-181, which allows for verification of voter rolls every four years. We also passed HB1370 254-120 which would require plastic durable containers to be used, instead of cardboard boxes, to store ballots. Rep. Robert Wherry (R-Hudson) lauded the use of sturdy plastic containers and implored everyone to “save the trees.”
The House killed HB1557 by Indefinite Postponement 189-185. This bill would have required the Secretary of State to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is hailed as being a secure, bipartisan, long established, reliable, fiscally responsible, nonprofit association of states working together to improve the accuracy of voter checklists. The major problem is that ERIC requires that you share private voter information, like social security numbers, date of birth, driver’s license number, and other sensitive information with an outside organization, which violates Part 1 Art. 2-b of the NH State Constitution… and individual’s right to privacy. Florida, Missouri and West Virginia already revoked their membership to ERIC over privacy concerns. The NH House made the right vote on this one. You can’t spell “Privacy Concerns” without “ERIC.”
That another election law bill, HB1569, passed 189-185. This was a huge win for voter integrity as it eliminated the affidavit process (i.e., voter identification “exceptions”). 189 House members said “enough” with allowing people to vote without proper identification, even if they put their vote aside and hope they come back with proper ID. Let’s face it; nowadays, you need ID to do so many things: buy cold medicine, board a plane, drive a car, drink at a bar, open a bank account, rent a hotel room, pick up packages from USPS, enter certain government buildings, buy a firearm, and so on. Rep. Robert Wherry (R-Hudson) invoked “The Who” as they were correct in asking, “Who Are You?” and that song should apply to voting in NH. Same-day registration is fine… just prove you are who you say you are, and we’re all good. Now, between “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and “Who Are You?” are there any bets on what musical hit we’ll be referencing next week?
A fast tracked Senate Bill, SB395, passed 213-136. This bill will statutorily establish the position of assistant commissioner in the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. It was budgeted for, but never had a formal job title slot in state statute. So if you’re looking for a new gig, the salary range is $87,373-$121,751.
HB1231 passed 294-66. This bill allows qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use. If you’ve got a qualifying health condition and meet other criteria, and you’re into gardening, you can possess 8 ounces of usable cannabis, three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings.
We also learned that HB1156 was Tabled. This bill would have provided preemptive protection against extranational organizations—like the World Health Organization—from attempting to impose binding health policies onto Granite Staters via overreaching international protocols.
We learned that HCR9 passed OTP/A via voice vote after an ITL motion failed 238-128, and then an amendment was passed 209-161. This House Concurrent Resolution proposes the rescission of HCR40, adopted in 2012, requesting Congress call an Article V Constitutional Convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution requiring a Balanced Budget Amendment. Proponents of this bill understand that a Con Con will not be restricted to a particular topic and can open up the US Constitution to all manner of amendments. Plus, it is unclear who and how delegates to this convention would be chosen/appointed, and with monied interests lurking about what kind of influence to such a convention could be bought.
That HB1244 was ITL’d 188-171. This bill would have prohibited smoking in your vehicle if persons under the age of 16 are passengers. It was another bill that’s “for the children”… and, on its face, may sound like a good idea if you can’t open a window… but the question remains as to what else the government is going to tell you that you can’t do in your own vehicle. As Rep. Ted Gorski (R- Bedford) said, “Tell Big Brother to stay out of the cars of NH citizens.”
We also learned that HB1332 was ITL’d on a voice vote after the OTP motion failed 145-221. This bill would have prevented Electric Vehicles from parking in parking garages. The premise is that they are very heavy and can be fire hazards. It was noted that a parking garage in NYC collapsed due to an EV fire. Well, it looks like EV owners won’t have to waste electric energy circling the block a few more times looking for a parking space.
Finally, we learned that HB1254 was Indefinitely Postponed 195-171. This bill would have allowed municipalities, like Conway and Portsmouth, to tack on an additional fee of up to $2 (public safety assessment) to room occupancies in order to pay for municipal services. The premise is that people vacationing in an area should have to pay for the extra municipal services needed to deal with them vacationing there. Tourism has an impact on the area that the locals either are unable or unwilling to absorb. The problem with this is because municipalities decide on the fee, it can create a checkerboard of different fees across the state, and it really is a new tax in “tax-free NH.” It might be better to figure out a more equitable way to divvy up the rooms and meals tax or find some other way for the municipality to deal with the impact lucrative tourism has on them. Perhaps the hotels can put a voluntary tip jar at their concierge desk.
Read more next week and see how House Democrats will continue to fight to restrict your rights, keep age-inappropriate materials in our schools, push their expensive green agenda, kill successful education programs, and support illegal aliens and criminal activity in our state as we convene on March 21st!