State Senate Archives - Page 2 of 2

Steve Kenda on Education, and the Heroin Epidemic

July 15, 2024June 14, 2016 Steve MacDonald

In part two of our conversation with Steve Kenda, State Senate Candidate District 24, we talk about Education, Common core, school choice, the heroin epidemic, and bureaucracies.

New Hampshire State Senate Nixes Medicaid Expansion in Budget

September 26, 2018May 23, 2013 Steve MacDonald

By a vote of 4 – 2 Senate budget writes have ‘Just said No’ to the proposed Medicaid expansion option tied to the “Eliminate Any Hope Of Affordable Care Act,” frequently misrepresented as the ‘Affordable Care Act,’ or ObamaCare. Speaking for the majority, State Senate Majority Leader Peter Bragdon, who happens to be State Senator, said something incredibly intelligent.

“I’m not a big fan of spending a whole lot of money on something that seems to me to have some doubts as to whether or not it is effective.”

To which I would add, “Oh, Yeah- so why do we still have RGGI?”

Cheap shot. Sorry.

Well he happens to be right in this case. And don’t be fooled by the fools like Senator D’Allesanrdo who say things like this…

NH Senate Votes 19-5 to Table HB 135

September 26, 2018May 23, 2013 Steve MacDonald

The NH Senate has tabled HB 135, the Deputy Dawg Shurtleff House passed bill that would have repealed stand your ground in New Hampshire and replaced it with Run Away or else go to court and have them tell you a year later…yeah, you should have run away. Bad bill. Tabling is not death, however. … Read more

Why Would NH State Senator Jeb Bradley Want to Harpoon the Nano-Brewery Bill?

September 26, 2018April 30, 2013 Steve MacDonald

Word has it that a backroom deal has been ‘crafted’ to harpoon the nano-brewery bill. I say ‘backroom’ and ‘crafted’ because a recent executive committee session for HB253 did not attract a single lobbyist. The New Hampshire beer cartel didn’t send any hired guns to pimp their interests. No one from the liquor commission bothered to show … Read more

HB 135 Deputy Dawg Shurtleff ‘Stand Your Ground Repeal’ – NH State Senate Hearing is Tomorrow

September 26, 2018April 22, 2013 Steve MacDonald

c/o Scott Smith / Facebook

New Hampshire: Shurtleff Criminal Protection Bill Scheduled for Senate Committee Hearing in Concord on Tuesday

On Tuesday, April 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 135. Introduced by state Representative Stephen Shurtleff (D- Merrimack 11), HB 135 will render law-abiding citizens defenseless victims by removing consequences for criminal activity. The New Hampshire House of Representatives already undermined your inherent right to self-defense by passing the Shurtleff Criminal Protection Bill by a 189-184 vote on March 27.

HB 135 would repeal important self-defense provisions enacted in 2011, making the following changes to New Hampshire’s current self-defense laws:

State Senate Votes 13-11 to Table HB 370 – The Education Scholarship Credit Lives!!!

September 26, 2018April 18, 2013 Steve MacDonald

HB 370, the government-school monopoly, anti-education-choice-bill from the union-owned Democrat House, that would have repealed the education scholarship tax credit that passed last year, has been tabled by the New Hampshire State Senate. Tabling a bill is not legislative death but it is not unlike locking a prisoner up in a dungeon and forgetting they are there. Someone might wander down to take a peek, but more likely than not no one will ever visit it again.

Snidely whiplash - NEA loses as HB370 is tabled in NH Senate

There are several reasons for doing it, but more than likely this was to give cover for folks who would rather leave things as they are. As a way to end the repeal effort without actually having to vote pass or fail.. Or maybe we got lucky. I don’t much care what or why, just that it’s done, at least until Fred Lynn the ACLU, and the out of state wing-nuts who are planning to file suit at the bench of left-wing Judge John “I redefined domicile in time for the November Elections” Lewis….who will be asked to block the program on the grounds that it violates the separation of church and state.

Today we are victorious. Tomorrow is another day.

Tom Brady (Not that one) Can’t Be On The NH-GOP State Committee

June 5, 2026December 17, 2012 Steve MacDonald

Actually, the other Tom Brady can’t be an NH-GOP voting Committee member either but let us not get distracted.

NH-GOP Bylaws, Article 1, section 4A:

A. Any registered Republican who, at the same time joins or allows his or her name to be used in support of a political committee or a defined group of individuals, that in title or effect is intended to be understood by the public to be a committee or group comprised in whole or in part of members of the Republican Party endorsing a candidate for elected office from another political party, when there is a candidate nominated by the Republican Party for that office, shall be disqualified during the then present and the next biennium from holding an office of the State Committee or any County or City Committee, from being a member of the Executive Committee and from being a member of the State Committee.

So why can’t Republican County Commissioner Tom Brady be a voting member of the Republican State Committee?

Endorsement: Dan Dwyer, State Senate

September 26, 2018September 11, 2012 Steve MacDonald

As State Senate President, Peter Bragdon lays claim to a number of accomplishments, he also owns a number of disappointments, one of the most egregious of which is our continued membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas initiative (RGGI). I hold him solely responsible for our continued participation in this unconstitutional scheme which the Democrat majority that proceeded him, tied us to, which the House and Senate tried to repeal, and which only the Senate failed to override when vetoed by Governor Lynch.

RGGI should be deemed unconstitutional. The compromise legislation is laughable. Bragdon has been in Concord too long. It is time for a change. And Dan Dwyer offers us that opportunity.

Early Turnout in Merrimack…

September 26, 2018September 11, 2012 Steve MacDonald

I hit the polls early this morning, arriving at 7:15, and the traffic in and out was steady, even brisk. No long lines, and the presentation of ID posed no problems.

I also ran into Lenette Peterson, Jeanine Notter, Chris Buda (Local GOP Chair), George Markwell (Merrimack School Board), saw a few other folks as well, and then while getting gas overheard two people talking about how they had already voted while I was paying way too much to put gas into my car. I think turnout will be exceptional for a primary.

I guess the the next question is…who do I think is going to win?

Please Keep Your Hands Off My Speech

September 26, 2018May 8, 2012 Steve MacDonald

Political speech is a popular subject these past few days, and seeing as that is what we do here, it should be. Any slight change about what is defined as paid speech could make what we do very difficult to define financially, and more cumbersome to execute. Take for example the value of web space or the cost of remote equipment used to broadcast “speech.” If we are not cautious, these and many other things might become “expenses” for “Speech hobbyists,” like those at GraniteGrok, that would require us to register and file with the Secretary of State. And failing to do so might invite action from the Attorney General.

So while the goal of speech related legislation may be to identify fly-by-night political groups who gang rape your constituents mail-boxes with lies and hate, the potential collateral damage is much too great. People forget that lies and hate are protected by the first amendment. We should have other laws for dealing with that (and not the lefts hate speech laws, a topic for a different post). Any speech related legislation should not define, value, or in any way complicate the act of speech itself; when you meddle with political speech you always risk placing a gag on it and at the very least risk handing someone else the gag to be applied later.

AFP New Hampshire Legislative Score Card is Out!

September 26, 2018July 14, 2011 Steve MacDonald

Americans For Prosperity has released its 2011 Score card for New Hampshire Legislators in the House, and the NH State Senate. The tally is based on eleven bills AFP focused on in 2011 and whether the New Hampshire Representative or Senator took AFP’s position.

Save HB 540 – Biannual Auto Inspections [updated]

September 26, 2018April 9, 2011 Steve MacDonald

It’s not unsafe. It will not turn into a short film titled ‘Death on The Highway II,’ but it will save everyone a few hours and a few bucks. It’s HB 540, the bill to move New Hampshire from annual auto inspections to every other year.

Opponents have come up with all kinds of reasons why we shouldn’t do this but my favorite was this; that an inspector might have to let something go that was not yet in violation but that could become a violation before the next inspection. So we’re all unsafe, irresponsible dopes? No sense of self preservation apparently either. We just drive along until the next inspection….I don’t think so but nice try. The other classes of opponents are bureaucrats and rent seeking mechanics who enjoy state mandated visits to their repair shops. I’ve no time for them either.

Then there is this. It is testimony from Rep Steve Vaillancourt, a fellow Blogger at NH Insider, and a guy who can post more content than me on a good day. He’s also someone with whom I disagree on most social issues, but we see eye to eye on taxes and spending (as far as I can tell), and on HB 540.

Here is Steve’s testimony before the Senate Committee, courtesy of BikerBill (on the jump). It’s only three plus minutes so check it out. Then check out Steve’s Blog at NHI and Bill’s Youtube Channel, both worthy excursions across the New Hampshire Political Landscape.

And don’t forget to contact the committee to tell them you support HB 540. And remember to be polite.

Email

james.rausch@leg.state.nh.us

dboutin1465@comcast.net

james.forsythe@leg.state.nh.us

molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us

nancy.stiles@leg.state.nh.us

Phone

Senator Jim Rausch (R-Derry) (Senate District 19) 271-8630.

Senator David Boutin (R-Hooksett) (Senate District 16) 271-2709

Senator James Forsythe (R-Strafford) (Senate District 4) 271-3096

Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene) (Senate District 10) 271-2166

Senator Nancy Stiles (R-Hampton) (Senate District 24) 271-6933

Update: Removed Senator Jim Luthur who is not on this committee; added the correct email for Senator Jim Rausch who is. Thanks to our commenters below for the correction.

Republican Change In New Hampshire

September 26, 2018April 8, 2011 Steve MacDonald

NH State Seal H/T to Patricia Wulfson for sending me this first.

“The New Hampshire House of Representatives received a mandate from the voters of this state to cut state spending; reduce taxes and fees; return fiscal sanity to the state; promote economic development and create jobs; mend a state retirement system that was nearing insolvency; provide our children with an education based on excellence; protect the personal rights and freedoms of its citizens; and maintain transparency in state government. Listed here is a compilation of legislation passed by the 2011 New Hampshire House of Representatives in response to that message that they received in November from the voters.

Trans-formative Change:

• Passed a constitutional amendment to require a super-majority in the House and Senate to raise taxes or borrowing. (CACR 6)

• For the first time in NH history, that included more that 50 attempts in the legislature, the House passed a constitutional amendment to expand local control of education funding by returning authority to elected officials, not unelected judges. (CACR 12) Setting an example for our citizens by “living within our means:”

• Passed a fiscally responsible budget that, (1) was balanced by using realistic revenue figures; (2) did not increase taxes or fees; (3) does not downshift onto local property taxpayers; and (4) does not increase borrowing, setting New Hampshire on a financially sustainable path will allow our economy to grow and create more jobs. (HB 1 & 2)

• Passed an education funding formula that maintains existing levels of aid to communities and allows additional targeted aid to needy cities and towns. (HB 337)

• Passed a bill to allow local communities to enact tax and spending caps. (HB 341) Moving our economy forward, creating more jobs and putting out the “Open for Business sign” in New Hampshire once again.

• Passed a small business tax cut to protect reasonable compensation from the business profits tax. (HB 557)

(more on the jump…)

Blind Spot

September 26, 2018November 23, 2010 Steve MacDonald

The saving of New Hampshire Taxpayer dollars has already begun. Peter Bragdon announced that his State Senate chief of staff will not be earning the $100,000.00 his predecessor is said to have received.

Ray Buckley And His Extremist Friends…

September 26, 2018October 31, 2010 Steve MacDonald

Vote For Jim Forsythe! Paid for by The New Hampshire Democratic State Committee and Ray Buckley, Chair, is an ad in the New Hampshire Sunday News. Don’t feel bad if you missed it. It’s an 1/8th of a page affair that tries to scare people. They, the democrats, have to resort to this because of the frightening reality that is their actual agenda, which people are preparing to reject in the mid terms.

The ad is directed at Jim Forsythe, candidate for State Senate. It claims that Jim will Slash the minimum wage, take away women’s rights, eliminate social security, eliminate medicare and shut down public education, as if the democrats have not already corrupted these ideas or doomed these failed institutions already, and that a State Senator from New Hampshire, any state Senator, could actually do any of these things anyway.

Each of the five attacks come with a foot note directing you to one of two internet resources, the Republican Liberty Caucus Statement of Principles, or an interview in Fosters Daily Democrat.