We learned that it took from 10 am until 8 pm, with an hour break for lunch, to get through 44 bills, their amendments, and all the various motions. It was a very long day, but we got some good work accomplished. I won’t go through everything, but let’s review some highlights.
We learned that HB1528 passed on a voice vote. This amended bill will ensure adequate reporting and police protocols are in place so that the governor and the legislature will receive the information they will need to properly fund the new Northern Border Program.
We also learned that a bill that would have added transparency to Gunstock operations was Indefinitely Postponed 230-143. HB1414 died after a tabling motion failed 45-329. I don’t understand why a forensic audit would be considered a bad thing. Would sunshine melt the snow?
We learned that women’s sports in NH had a win today! HB1205, the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act”, passed 189-182 on a roll call vote. This bill as amended applies to school grades 5-12 and prohibits biological males from participating on biological female sports teams. New Hampshire schools would need to classify their sports teams as either female, male, or coed. The bill also provides for a cause of action if a student is deprived of athletic opportunities, is subjected to retaliation, or suffers any direct or indirect harm. The bill seeks to protect biological female athletes from physical harm as a result of competing with biological males who are physically taller, stronger, and heavier than biological females. Science has proven that there are physical advantages that biological males have over biological females. This bill protects women’s sports and truly levels the playing field.
We learned that HB1654, another attack on the successful Education Freedom Accounts, was Indefinitely Postponed with a roll called vote of 191-183. We also killed HR30 with the same tally of 191-183. That bill would have made a resolution to urge a robust climate education in schools including current environmental and economic information. How about we concentrate on teaching kids to read and write and do proper math instead of propagating “Climate Change Anxiety” and foisting upon them the notion that we have a “disastrous anthropomorphic climate emergency” while teaching them to hate business and industry?
We learned that we dealt with a number of election law bills. HB1098 passed 192-175 which allows town election officials to deliver and assist with the distribution and processing of absentee ballots to residents of eldercare facilities. We also passed HB1119, with a vote of 282-92, which consolidates the reasons a voter may request an absentee ballot on the Monday before an election that may be impacted by an impending severe weather concern (ex: snowstorm). We killed HB1149 with an Indefinite Postponement vote of 190-184. That bill would have brought us back to the “honor system” days when you didn’t need an ID to vote and we took people at their “pinky swear” word that they lived in the district, and voter fraud was as easy as can be. We tabled a bill, HB1099, with a vote of 188-186, which would have enabled specification of party affiliation in school district elections. Rep. Robert Wherry (R-Hudson) channeled Lesley Gore this week with his entertaining rendition of “It’s my party and I’ll vote how I want to, I’ll vote how I want to…”
We learned that the annual Democrat attack on Columbus Day failed yet again. HB1135 was the 7th time that the attempt to remove or rename Columbus Day has come to us. This bill died 331-42 on a roll called vote. It would be nice if they didn’t waste our time with this nonsense.
We learned that HB1683, relative to coverage of circumcision under the state Medicaid plan, was tabled 188-187. There were concerns regarding Jewish ritual circumcision being denied, but the reality is that that is done on the 8th day, at home, with a privately hired mohel (rabbi). No Medicaid money is paid for that. Circumcisions done in the hospital are elective surgeries that really do not need to be paid by Medicaid. In any case, Rep. Paige Beauchemin (D-Nashua), who laid out all of her important nursing credentials, seemed to have talked forever, and we wish that had been cut off instead. That being said, Rep Emily Phillips (R-Fremont) reminded us that “foreskin is not a birth defect and no one wants less penis.” I’ll just leave that there.
We learned that the ghost of HB1002 (the fees placed on the Right To Know Law) paid the House a visit again, coming back from the Judiciary Committee after the House sent it back to them on 2/8/24 with a recommit motion. Today, the Interim Study motion on this bill failed (105 Yes-266 No), and then an amendment was offered. Members of the Judiciary Committee worked hard to craft an amendment (2024-1173h) that would only charge for electronic communications (emails, texts), and only after the first 250 of those, plus the time it takes to redact them. There are exemptions to the fees if you’re poor or information disclosure is in the public interest – although media requestors are not exempt. The amended bill ultimately passed with a roll called vote of 268-106. Now, it will be taken up in the Senate.
We learned that HB1115, relative to the termination of tenancy at the expiration of the tenancy or lease term, passed 194-180 on a division vote. This bill adds the expiration of the term, of the lease or tenancy if over six months, as grounds for eviction. A contract should be as the contract states. As the law stands now a landlord can’t evict someone at the end of their lease because of a bad ruling in 2005 by the NH Supreme Court. They decided that the end of a lease does not constitute “good cause” for evicting a tenant. What part of “end of lease” did they not understand?
We also learned that last week, HB1336 was tabled by a voice vote. Today it was removed from the table with a vote of 189-183. An amendment was offered (2024-1271h) which changed the bill to make it allowable for an employee to keep a loaded firearm in his personal locked vehicle while at work at a publicly funded business. The premise being that a publicly funded business would have to support Constitutional rights. The bill would also still 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. Of course, our “firearm worry wort” colleague Rep. David Meuse (D-Portsmouth) had great concerns that a child would escape from a daycare center and somehow get into a locked car in the parking lot and get a hold of a firearm and “something bad would happen”. One has to wonder where he dreams up these scenarios. But he also invoked the Constitutional rights of the business owner. Rep. Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) commended Rep. Meuse on his newfound love of the Constitution, and Rep. Jennifer Rhodes (R-Winchester) said, “A child in daycare has more chance of being harmed by an elected official” (a reference to past Democrat Rep. Laughton and Tyngsborough daycare in June 2023). Nuff said.
Additionally, we learned that HB1283 – the assisted suicide bill – ultimately, after many motions and an hour and a half of floor speeches, passed OTP/A 179-176. I think they were trying to talk us to death. It is interesting that the breakdown of the votes was that the 179 Yes were comprised of 36 Republicans and 143 Democrats, and the No votes were comprised of 142 Republicans and 34 Democrats. Prior to the OTP/A vote we tried to Table the bill – that failed 155-217. We tried to Indefinite Postpone the bill – that failed 150-212. All votes were roll called so you can check it out. This bill will now go off to the Senate. Perhaps they can assist in the bill’s suicide there.
We also learned that the bill that would give the Commissioner of the Dept. of Education subpoena power, HB1353, was Tabled 293-58 after the amendment died 169-178. Seeing as we didn’t have the votes to pass it, it was decided tabling would be better for now.
We further learned that HB1664, relative to legal remedies for individuals who receive medical detransitioning, was Indefinitely Postponed 181-164 (181=R:8 D:173). This was a tough one to lose as the day wore on, and Republican numbers began to dwindle. This would have established standards for a cause of action to recover damages for injury caused by gender transition surgery, the administration of puberty-blocking drugs, and/or the administration of cross-sex hormones. A 3-year time limit of action would be established, and informed consent is a concern. This bill was important because many who have transitioned are now regretting it, especially as health problems emerge, and they are now seeking detransitioning services. Permanent injury is a real thing.
We also learned that HB1479 was ultimately Indefinitely Postponed 211-129. This was the bill that would have prohibited the use of federal, state, and local funds to pay for lobbying activities. Organizations that offer lobbying services would have to separate the lobbying activity and fund it differently than with public money. Rep. Gregory Hill (R-Northfield) offered an amendment (2024-0982h) which he deemed, “If you like your lobbyist, you can keep your lobbyist”. Among other things, it allowed for town officials to choose services that organizations may provide, including lobbying activities. That amendment failed 135-207. Then Rep. Josh Yokela (R-Fremont) offered another amendment (2024-1160h), which allowed towns to vote via warrant article for whether they want to use tax money to pay for lobbying activities or not. That amendment failed 117-224. A Table motion also failed 135-205. There are other issues with this bill, as well as current law and how it is or is not being adhered to. At the end of the day, we did not have the votes to keep tax money from being used to pay lobbyists. By the way, we also saw firsthand how lobbyists lobbied our constituents to ask us to vote against the bill, and the misinformation that was spread about the bill was pretty incredible.
We learned that as the hour began to get late, around 6 pm, our House Speaker’s office brought us all snacks to enjoy in the back anteroom: fruit, cookies, granola bars, and there was coffee too. Soon after that, NH Democrat Party Chair Ray Buckley sent his Democrat House caucus many boxes of pizzas for them to enjoy in their ante room, and we heard that it came with instructions not to share with Republicans. Just so you know.
We learned that when speeches are done and voting is ready to begin you cannot enter the House Chambers…Even if you are Speaker of the House. Yes, while Deputy Speaker Steven Smith was presiding, our House Speaker Sherm Packard was locked out of House Chambers. I guess he’ll have to make it back in quicker time next time.
We further learned that HB1584 passed on a voice vote after an ITL motion failed 159-167. This bill would alleviate the daycare crunch by allowing unlicensed daycare operators to care for four kids versus 3. Of course, Rep. David Paige (D-Conway) painted this grim picture of some rural, unlicensed, unqualified, ill-equipped daycare provider living in a firetrap and unable to evacuate four kids from a fire in her home. He must get worry wort training from Rep. Meuse (see above). The Democrats just spend their days thinking up worst-case scenarios for every bill that tries to do good and solve problems, especially if that bill was not written by them. Republicans, on the other hand, understand unmet needs and balance access and affordability while maintaining quality and safety in this day care issue. We understand truly what is good “for the children”.
We learned that Democrats want to solve the childcare crisis by throwing money at it. HB 1611 died 163-162 along complete party lines (163 R’s 162 D’s). They wanted to set up a childcare workforce fund – non-lapsing and continually funded. This would be overseen by the Dept. of Health and Human Services and money would be distributed as “grants” to employers and given to eligible child care providers. Wait… I thought Democrats were vehemently opposed to public money going to pay for private services (like EFA’s)… I am so confused.
Finally, we learned that Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) has a new name: Rep. Indefinite Postpone, since he’s always up to making that motion. Good one, thanks to Deputy Speaker Steven Smith!
There’s more to come next week, so stay tuned! There will be two new Democrats seated in the House as a result of special elections, so that means there will be a slimmer majority of House Republicans, and Ray Buckley has two more mouths to feed.
