Ahhh, Legislative Request season is now open! That means all of us political junkies have plenty of material to scour, and plenty of questions to ask. LSR’s were able to be filed starting yesterday, and the last day to file any is September 20th, 2019. The list is already 52 long, which could mean a significant amount of bills for the legislature to sort through in 2020, and an even longer list of bills for Governor Sununu to veto next year.
In first year of session, LSR’s start with number “0001” and in the second year of legislative session they start with “2001.” Katherine “Assault” Rogers must have been chomping at the bit, because she got in first. It’s (shockingly!) a bill to ban assault weapons (LSR 2020-2001). She also re-introduced a Universal Background Check bill (LSR 2020-2002) that Governor Sununu just vetoed weeks ago, and hasn’t even been voted on in “override day(s)” yet.
Oh, and don’t think the 9 or 11-day waiting period bill is going away either! That makes an ugly comeback too (LSR 2020-2003).
You can read all the LSR request descriptions here, and keep up to date daily. Make sure to check what nonsense your representatives are putting in!
The Good:
LSR 2020-2046: Jordan Ulery, Hillsborough 37 (Hudson/Pelham): prohibiting a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or an attempted abortion.
–On it’s face – this looks like it requires medical care for babies that are born alive after a botched abortion. Will New Hampshire Democrats block this like DC Dems have done?
LSR 2020-2020: James Allard: Merrimack 21 (Pittsfield): A bill relative to milk pasteurization.
–See here, and here to find out how this came about, and why it’s a good thing.
LSR 2020-2035: Glenn Cordelli: Carroll 4 (Moultonborough, Sandwich, Tuftonboro): relative to changing a pupil’s school or assignment because of a manifest educational hardship.
–No telling what exactly this bill accomplishes without the text, but Glenn Cordelli has been a fierce advocate for education freedom and school choice. My bet is that this bill will be killed by Democrats, or mutilated at the very least, but would be great as introduced.
LSR 2020-2008:Josh Yokela: Rockingham 33 (Fremont): A CACR (Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution) relating to searches and seizures. Providing that certain information shared with third parties shall be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures.
–Anything that further protects your independent privacy from government overreach is probably a good idea. In today’s day and age, most people have their share of private information in the hands of third parties: like Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Prohibiting the Government from just demanding that information from them without a warrant is a smart protection of privacy.
There are some others that may be good, but determining their intent from the LSR description is difficult and not always accurate. There are plenty that are plain bad, like Katherine “Assault” Rogers’ gun control bills. The vetoed voting security bills (HB105 and HB106) also make a return thanks to Timothy Horrigan as LSR 2020-2029, and LSR 2020-2030.
So far, it seems that 2020 will be a complete re-do of 2019, and Governor Sununu will end up vetoing the same bills over and over again. Start sending him some more red pens!
