With a 2nd hearing (aka 2nd bite at the apple) coming up at 10 am on Tuesday for HB649 (removing the requirement for physical safety inspections and on-board diagnostic tests for passenger vehicles), I want to share some takeaways as I just got off the phone with the only member of Senate Commerce that replied to my group email referenced in this link to my previous article. When Denise requested my number and I gave it to her, we later went back and forth in emails with her letting me know of her commitment to calling me. Expecting her call anytime today or this weekend, I just went about my life with my phone in my pocket with the mindset of “when she calls, she calls,” not being yoked to any plans dependent on when she calls.
After exchanging pleasantries and light talk about some semi-related Senate operations items, we went into HB 649. I said I was reiterating what I said in my original email and adding a few more thoughts on what some of the speakers said. I didn’t record the call or take notes, so nothing I’m saying now about what she said is to be taken verbatim. She said she likes to work with people to “get to yes,” meaning work together to address concerns. We talked about the attorney general’s office speaker and his concerns and agreed that tweaking the language to satisfy his consumer protection-related concerns is a good idea. I suggested working with an attorney to write the perfect amendment that wouldn’t denature the bill.
Since it was Denise who asked one of the speakers how many states that don’t have the sticker tax require insurance, we talked about that, and she said all of them do. Astounded, I said, “All 40, really?” However, I forgot to ask where that information came from and how well fact-checked it was, but we both agreed that we don’t want NH to become a compulsory insurance state. With that said, she’s committed to making good senatorial decisions to safeguard our voluntary insurance status. We even went on, at her initiative, to discuss possible future bills if HB649 is a success. She floated an insurance discount for policyholders who choose to have their cars inspected. I pointed out that AAA often has free multi-point inspections available to active members at participating shops, but we started getting ahead of ourselves.
We went on to talk about stuff that was only marginally related to the bill and then some nongermane stuff. For the sake of disclosure, we did not talk about anything we passionately disagreed about, and it was a thoughtful and pleasant talk. Since she had other phone calls to make, I wanted to show respect for her time. I thanked her for calling when she said she would, calling on the earlier end of the time frame instead of later, and not being in a hurry. I will shamelessly admit how much of a critic of the Senate I am, especially to Republican Senators, because I hold them to a higher standard. However, it’s important to give praise when it’s due. BF Skinner would call it positive reinforcement.
She called her modus operandi “the 3 Cs.” No, it’s not the Civilian Conservation Corps; it’s conscience, constituents, and caucus. To use Nurse Terese-speak, “it’s Denise’s compass.”
Denise is definitely committed to being approachable. If you have something to say in support of HB649 that could potentially make her commit to supporting it, make yourself committed to sharing it with her.
