Updates

We’ve hit the stretch where those of us who are members of the New Hampshire House really start earning our $100/year salaries. Last Thursday, we voted on dozens of important bills and this week we meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to vote on hundreds more. The heat is on because this coming Thursday is the deadline for the House to act on bills that aren’t required to be considered by a second committee. Crossover day—the deadline for all bills to be voted on by the full House—is also looming on March 28. Here are the highlights of the week that was—and a preview of the week ahead.

With the full legislature meeting 4 times in the next week, House committees were busy this week making recommendations on dozens of key bills. On Wednesday, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted on two important gun violence prevention bills, a bill to criminalize possession of dog fighting and cock fighting paraphernalia, a bill to increase the penalty for crop theft, and more. Here’s what we decided.

Another extremely busy week in the legislature was highlighted on Thursday by a veto-proof 279-88 vote to repeal the death penalty in New Hampshire.

After this week’s controversy over pearl-wearing legislators, it’s time for ALL New Hampshire legislators to consider hitting the “pause” button when it comes to donning symbols when conducting public hearings, holding executive sessions, and voting on bills.

This week was the deadline for bills that need to be referred to other committees (sometimes referred to as “early bills”) to be acted on by the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The result was a flurry of important bills that either moved on the the next step, were killed for this session, or were “retained” for further committee work and reintroduction in 2020. I also made my first floor speech.

Serving on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee never lacks for drama. This week was a prime example.

Today the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 11-6 to send the death penalty repeal bill on to the full House with an Ought to Pass recommendation

This week, we celebrated Valentine’s Day and remembered the heartbreak of the Parkland school shooting. What’s the status of gun violence prevention efforts here in New Hampshire one year later?

On Thursday, February 7th, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Commitee had an executive session where we discussed and voted on several of the bills that have had public hearings before the committee over the past few weeks. Here’s what we recommended.

Ranked choice voting makes it possible for people to vote for the candidates they truly believe in, including third-party alternatives without fear of “wasting their vote” or worse—having two good candidates cancel each other out in a three way election, opening the door for a third candidate to win election with a small plurality and nothing close to an actual majority.

The death penalty. Gun violence prevention. Cannabis legalization. Criminal justice reform. In February and March, all of these critical issues will be debated in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Here’s a quick overview of some of the more controversial bills we’ll be considering and information on how you can make your voice heard.

On Tuesday at 10am, I’ll be testifying for HB-202—a bill I’m cosponsoring with Rep. Peter Somssich that would require presidential candidates to disclose their previous 5 years of federal income tax returns as a condition for appearing on the ballot.

Last week the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee started public hearings on the 29 (and counting) bills that will come before it this session. This week we started voting on them.

Following the legislature can be a challenge even for the most engaged citizens. While the New Hampshire news media generally does a good job covering the most controversial legislation, over 800 bills are expected to be considered in this session. This makes it easy for many important bills and debates to slip through the cracks. Here’s how you can get the information you need.

On Wednesday January 2, I was part of a majority of members of the New Hampshire House who voted against making every day “take your guns to work day” for state legislators. We also voted to make sexual harassment training mandatory for legislators and staff. 

When the House meets on January 2nd for the first time in 2019, several important rules changes will be up for consideration, including one that would reinstate a ban on carrying deadly weapons while in the House Chamber, anterooms, cloakrooms, or House gallery.

“It’s one thing to have a bump in the road and be in between jobs for a little while; it’s another thing to be prevented from doing the only thing you know how to do.”

This was the scene outside Kittery Trading Post earlier this month on a cold December morning: Santa with a sidearm and an AR-15 waving to puzzled people entering the store, some toting small children.