Let me start by saying something nice about all three Senate Judiciary Republicans. They’re all nice people and presumably decent people in their personal lives. I’ve had pleasant encounters with them, some leading to pleasant talk, sometimes more than once.
One of them promptly and cheerfully returned my emails, though they were less about NH senate matters and more about an up-ballot endorsed candidate. The other two are even cat people, but so are Melanie and the Damn Emperor! I don’t want to start a pattern of referencing my ex, having already made a comment about him in a previous article, but he did make a professional comment as an electrical engineer when we were together. He said, “You are only as good as your most recent project,” and he also added that the worst thing an engineer can do is design a product that doesn’t work.
I’ll add a little sidenote that Senator Gray is an electrical engineer. What makes that little tidbit relevant is that the whole Senate has yet to vote on the RTK Tax (HB 1002).
Rochester people might consider what my ex said in convincing him to reject HB 1002 in the senate chamber, but let’s get back to the Naughty 3 in the Judiciary.
Short of possessing the gavel, Sharon Carson is the most powerful in the Senate. She did not get where she is by being stupid and she knows how influential her multifold power is. One of her power positions is Judiciary Chair. At 3:27:15 in the video from 4/18’s executive session, she moved OTP on HB 1002 with minimal lip service to Laurie Ortolano’s personal testimony, and the two men just obediently gave her the “yes, ma’am” without any thought. Extremely disappointing, considering that I’ve been emailing them for the past few months in addition to testifying myself at the hearing on 4/9. I’ll get to them in a moment, but I’m not the only Sharon critic. In addition to looking at her union sympathizing record, I suggest talking to JR or anyone else about how much Pfizer money she’s taken or Beth Scaer about her Cornerstone-related complaints.
I’m sure that Beth would be thrilled to death to go into further detail upon request, but let’s move on to the men of the Naughty three, now that I’ve followed with the “Ladies First” mantra.
Moving on to Senator Gannon, though he did sponsor SB 319, don’t let that distract you from his 2022 antics in Judiciary and in the senate chamber. A favorite constituent archetype is his “immunocompromised business owner,” which I observed him referencing in person, both at a hearing and from the senate gallery on 5/5/22,
which can be watched at 9:59:45 in the video of the HB 1210 debate. Jeb wanted his beloved CMS money and my senator is the only one of the 5 dissenters still in office today. He wasn’t taking any crap from Gannon, who you can see resorting to gaslighting at 10:13:40 in the same video right after another dissenter asked the whole body “at what price are you willing to sell your liberty?”
Senator Gannon is an establishment sheeple who did Jeb’s bidding that day and now Sharon’s on 4/18/24, when he voted to obstruct your Right to Know by levying a tax on it and creating a can of worms waiting to be opened.
Saving the younger lawyer for last, Daryl Abbas, who happens to be a Chuck Morse apologist occupying his old senate seat, walked out of the hearing while Laurie Ortolano was at the mic with several minutes left. One of his constituent apologists surmised that he had to use the restroom, but I rebutted with noting that he folded up his laptop and took it with him. While men often do have a thing for taking reading material into the bathroom, I reject the supposition. See for yourself at 1:08:40 in this video and that he does not reappear, even though there were two more speakers (also against HB 1002) after Laurie.
I’ll also note that Sharon let the NH Municipal Association lobbyist and his peers speak first once all the reps had their turn, even though I signed up first on the clipboard and Laurie Ortolano after myself, but that’s on Sharon, not Daryl Abbas. I ran into him earlier and we talked at length in the dining room. He KNEW why I was at the state house that day and that Laurie was going to speak. He KNEW about Laurie’s local RTK plight, and that hearing was his opportunity to ask questions. If he had a plausible reason for leaving early, which certainly could be a possibility, he could have asked Sharon to call Laurie to the mic first, but he was clearly uninterested and I’m calling him out on it. Every member of the legislature knows how much power, leeway, and discretion committee chairs have, and don’t let Daryl Abbas, being a freshman, fool you! He was promoted to the Senate from the House.
Inspired by words from the late Rep Mark Alliegro at the My Pillow Frankspeech Symposium almost three years ago, I am now getting down from the rant soapbox and offering a message of hope. The Senate is in recess this week, and that gives everyone more time to email their senators instructions to reject HB 1002. Remember that they work for YOU, not lobbyists or other government officials. Did you see any ordinary members of the public speaking at the hearing in favor of HB 1002? I didn’t.