While many in Concord are clamoring over language for an educational-funding constitutional amendment (CACR 12), what’s being lost in the final debate of the 2011-2012 session is a constitutional amendment proposal far more important to the people of New Hampshire as they work to regain control of their government.
CACR 26, a constitutional amendment proposal that would remove the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court’s rule-making authority by repealing Part 2, Article 73-a of the constitution, is probably the most important effort still up for consideration this year. By passing CACR 26 and repealing Article 73-a, the Legislature, which is directly elected by the people each biennium, would regain sole authority to write the laws, rules and general policies of the state as our founders intended.
CONCORD, N.H.—The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire is deeply troubled by a Senate Committee Amendment to HB 1704 that would make it harder for political organizations such as the RLCNH to criticize elected state senators and state representatives, an activity at the very heart of our Republic that is protected by our state and federal constitutions.
The Senate Amendment, which the RLCNH is calling the “Incumbent Protection Act,” would essentially put a gag order on political committees by preventing them from spending more than $500 criticizing members of the Legislature without disclosing the expenditure within 24 hours. Also under the amendment, political organizations, including 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations, would be required to disclose the names of all donors to the Secretary of State prior to the primary election.
“I’m stunned that Senate Republicans would advance an amendment that is so clearly motivated out of political self-interest,” said Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “We expect this type of power-grabbing bill from statists and Democrats, but we expect Republicans in the Senate and in the House to put the rights of the People above their own political ambitions.”
The incumbent Republican Legislature has competently delivered on promises to balance the state budget, reduce the size of government and encourage private-sector economic growth, but in the area of educational funding reform, this Legislature has unfortunately wavered in its commitment to local control of education and must reverse course for the good of the families of New Hampshire.
The Legislature is now considering “compromise” language for an educational funding amendment to the state Constitution (CACR 12). But the language being considered risks permanently damaging the founders’ intended relationship among children, parents, local communities and the state by firmly establishing a centralized, one-size-fits-all system that will ensure no child’s education is ever more than “adequate.” This runs completely contrary to the spirit of the state of New Hampshire.
CONCORD, N.H.—Today, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire announces that it has acquired the political assets of the New Hampshire Republican Volunteer Coalition and has added NHRVC Co-Founder Steve MacDonald to its 10-member RLCNH Board to lead a merger effort and help carry on the mission of the NHRVC within the RLCNH organization.
“By merging the NHRVC into the RLCNH and adding Steve MacDonald to the RLCNH board, we are adding new vigor to our now substantially larger political action organization and ensuring the ongoing success of principled Republican activism in New Hampshire,” said Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “During the last few election cycles, the RLCNH and the NHRVC groups had been duplicating efforts to elect liberty-minded Republicans. It simply makes good common sense to merge our efforts so that we can motivate our now larger group of activists to pursue one effective mission.”
