As I’ve been closely following HB 649 (removing the requirement for physical safety inspections and on-board diagnostic tests for passenger vehicles…), I’ve been trying to rally up the troops at every step of the way.
Part of me is concerned with coming off as a keyboard warrior or armchair activist, as I wrote four previous articles related to abolishing the sticker tax.
Below in chronological order are their links:
- https://granitegrok.com/new-england/nh/2025/03/how-compromised-is-the-nh-senate
- https://granitegrok.com/new-england/nh/2025/03/will-they-vote-your-will-or-the-lobbyists-who-pay-them
- https://granitegrok.com/new-england/nh/2025/03/does-queen-sharon-think-we-are-stupid
- https://granitegrok.com/new-england/nh/monadnock/2025/03/an-open-letter-to-dan-innis-and-attorney-lehmann-and-a-quick-response
Because the hearing was yesterday, this piece serves as an update on HB 649 to keep those who actually “have a life,” to use the critics’ pejorative, abreast of what’s going on and present the current action item. That action item is to tell members of Senate Commerce to support HB 649. Having done so myself, I am sharing my email below, hoping it serves as literary inspiration for those with writer’s block.
Senate Commerce members:
Today I watched the HB 649 hearing and many observations came as no surprise. I support all the talking points in its favor and all the rebuttals debunking the opposition’s talking points. I will also add my own talking point in response to the fear-based desperation to protect the public-private partnership of the sticker tax gravy train. A few speakers have touched upon it, but I’ll cut to the chase.
Millions of cars registered in the 40 states without the sticker tax come into NH and often on a regular basis. Why aren’t they considered such an unsafe menace to our roads enough to be banned from them? Think about that for a moment, please.
And lastly, while I’m pleased that car dealer Donovan Fenton did not participate in today’s hearing, let it be known that I object to Watters being chosen as his replacement. No senator, not even Donovan Fenton or Sharon Carson, has taken more NH Automobile Dealers Association money than Watters. You can see for yourself at follow the money dot org. I’d like to respectfully remind all of you that you work for We the People and NOT the NHADA, Auto Fair, Grappone, VIP, NAPA, tow truck driver groups, motorcycle clubs, law enforcement agencies or other like minded special interest groups. The House has made it clear, as they’ve regularly done in the recent past, that it’s the will of the people to abolish this regressive tax that’s just a big racket. NH joining the vast majority of states, which include ones with bad weather, pot holes, salt and rust issues, is long overdue.
If you want to tweak the language to satisfy that speaker representing the attorney general’s office’s concerns, please do, but please stick with Rep Granger’s mission to abolish this annual nuisance. Do the right thing and vote OTP.
Thanks,
Julie Smith
For the sake of disclosure, my email was sent to just four of the six committee members, and I’ve received two responses. The first was clearly an auto reply similar to one regularly used by Regina, and the second was a request for my phone number paired with a comment indicating a desire to speak with me. I gave that member my number yesterday evening within the hour of receiving the request and am still awaiting a call. The day is young, so to speak, for both this member to call me and for you, the reader, to send that email.
