CONCORD, N.H.—The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire rebukes the idea that Republicans should remove uncertainty by establishing a state health insurance exchange under the terms of Obamacare, as such a move would voluntarily bind the state under the control of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department while sending New Hampshire taxpayers the bill.

Contrary to arguments from some insurance regulators, insurance companies and industry groups, creating a state exchange will remove New Hampshire’s local control and ensure Obamacare is fully enacted in New Hampshire, whether the federal law is repealed or not. In addition, establishing a state insurance exchange under Obamacare requires the state to pay for the full cost of implementation starting in 2015, which could cost New Hampshire taxpayers anywhere from $10 million to $47 million a year, according to HTMS, a North Dakota health care consulting company.

“The bottom line is that the federal government has created uncertainty by passing an unworkable federal law that depends on states to put in the time and money to fix all of its faults,” said Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “The cloud of uncertainty created by President Obama and the Democratic Congress won’t go away just because we accept Obamacare by creating a state health insurance exchange. In fact, these exchanges will distort the market, which will make for even more uncertainty.”

Those arguing for a state insurance exchange have clamored for predictability, but by establishing a state insurance exchange, the only predictable outcome will be that the state will be voluntarily implementing the terms of the Obamacare law that voters soundly rejected in 2010. The mammoth state bureaucracy created would only serve as a nominal state organization, but it would take all of its orders from Washington bureaucrats, who would set the rules for selling insurance plans within the state, thus reducing real competition and increasing the costs of providing health insurance.

What makes matters worse, under SB 163, the N.H. Senate bill that establishes a state exchange, “poison pill” language would eliminate only those sections found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or repealed by the Congress, but it would leave everything else in place. If the bill passes, it would keep a state health insurance exchange in place even if the federal government fully rejects New Hampshire’s proposal, thus leaving us with a federal exchange plan funded by New Hampshire taxpayers.

The better approach is HB 1297, which would prohibit the state from enacting an exchange and make it harder for the federal government to implement the law. In fact, the more states that opt not to create a health insurance exchange will then send the federal bureaucrats scrambling to come up with one, without the time or funding to create one that will work. If New Hampshire and other states around the country say no to a state health insurance exchange, it all but guarantees that Congress will have to repeal or replace Obamacare, which is what the people want.

“Creating a state exchange voluntarily accepts Obamacare in New Hampshire,” McKinney said. “If we do that, this Republican Legislature will be directly opposing the voters who sent them to Concord to stand up against this federal overreach. These Republicans, and not the Obama Democrats, would be responsible for the consequences of Obamacare in New Hampshire.

“If Republicans act now to definitively reject a state exchange, however; the Republican Legislature stands a better chance of fulfilling the mandate of New Hampshire voters and leading the way toward true health insurance reform,” McKinney said.

For more information about the conclusions reached by RLCNH about state health insurance exchanges under Obamacare, please refer to these studies by the Cato Institute, the Idaho Freedom Foundation, and the Goldwater Institute.

Thanks to your efforts last week, the House of Representatives supported the RLCNH Report position on the following bills:

• The House passed HB 628, the TSA Transparency and Accountability bill, which will create a public database that records citizens’ complaints against TSA officials and clarify that citizens may record their interchanges with TSA officials.
• The House passed HB 383, which advances simpler Right to Work language for state public employees only. The RLCNH will be tracking and supporting this legislation hopefully all the way to its adoption.
• The House overrode the governor’s veto of HB 542-FN, which means parents will be able to use alternate class materials to instruct their children when they object to certain materials used in public schools.
• The House passed an amendment to HB 309-FN that added an additional mandate to repeal, which will help reduce the cost of health insurance for small businesses and their employees.
• The House passed HB 160-FN, helping to revive the short-term credit market in New Hampshire. Likewise, the House overrode the governor’s veto of SB 57, which will allow the return of title loan lenders to New Hampshire, opening the credit market further.
• The House passed HB 334 and HB 536-FN, which would respectively prohibit local governments and public colleges from regulating firearms and knives, and allow any law-abiding citizen to carry a weapon without a permit.
• The House Recommitted CACR 8 to committee, which will allow the Education Committee to reword the best constitutional amendment for educational funding and structure reform to date, which could give it a better chance to pass.
• The House tabled HB 591, giving lawmakers another chance to work on a bill to level the playing field and provide the same rights to divorced parents that are enjoyed by married parents, and HB 475-FN, potentially giving the House an opportunity to politely kill the bill that would create felonies for consumer protection act violations.
• The House left SB 133-FN on the Table to die. The bill would have continued corporate welfare for telephone companies; now these companies will be proportionally treated under property tax law as the constitution requires.
• The Senate amended HB 145 to restore its strength and clarify that citizens may videotape all public officials during the course of their duties without their consent, as long as they don’t get in the way.

Please keep up the great work in contacting your state legislators!

Keep up the Pressure — Further Action items

• Please e-mail Senators@leg.state.nh.us and ask them to support HB 628, HB 383, HB 309, HB 160, HB 334 and HB 536, using your own words to defend each of these bills.
• IMPORTANT: Please e-mail Senators@leg.state.nh.us and ask the Senate to support HB 145 as amended by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Also, please e-mail HouseRepublicans@leg.state.nh.us and ask House Republicans to support the Senate’s amendment to HB 145.
• Please e-mail HouseRepublicans@leg.state.nh.us and ask them to pass CACR 8 and HB 591 in a form not unlike their current form.
• Please e-mail HouseRepublicans@leg.state.nh.us and ask House Republicans to kill HB 475-FN.

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CONCORD, N.H.—Because the right to freely associate is fundamental to liberty in a free market economy, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire has decided to use the Right to Work override vote as a litmus test for candidates running for reelection in 2012.

To be clear: any representative or senator who votes to sustain the governor’s veto of the Right to Work bill, HB 474, will not receive an endorsement or assistance of any kind from the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire during the 2012 election cycle. In some cases, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire will actively support these incumbents’ opponents in their primary elections, especially if those opponents pledge to support a Right to Work law. (UPDATE 11/30/11: A full list of the Republicans who voted against Right to Work, the Republican Platform and the People of New Hampshire on Nov. 30, 2011 follows this article).

“Right to Work is a watershed issue when it comes to a legislator’s commitment to limited government and individual liberty,” said Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “People have a natural freedom to associate with whom they please, and in this country, the freedom of association is even protected by the constitution, but this right is being regularly denied by unions in the workplace.

“Especially in these hard economic times when so many families are struggling, people should never be forced to hand over their hard-earned money to a third party just so they can hold a job and provide for their families,” McKinney added. “Clearly, people will voluntarily choose to join a union if they believe the costs are worth the benefits. But unions given unchecked power—as they have had for so many decades—have shown they will not always support the best long-term interests of their members. Right to Work would fix this by ensuring that unions will have to compete for members by actually serving them.”

The Right to Work veto override vote may come up as soon as tomorrow, but the Speaker of the House has the authority to call the vote at any time prior to the beginning of the 2012 House Session. The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire supports any effort by the Speaker to call the vote when he knows it will be successful.

UPDATE 11/30/11: The following Republicans voted against Right to Work, the Republican Platform and the People of New Hampshire on Nov. 30, 2011, and will NOT receive an RLCNH endorsement. In addition, the RLCNH advises activists to do everything they can to recruit liberty-minded Republican candidates to defeat these Republicans in the primary election of 2012:

CONCORD, N.H.—Carolyn McKinney will serve as acting chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire and strengthen the organization’s focus on a common sense State House agenda as RLCNH Chairman Andrew Hemingway leaves his post to work on a presidential political campaign.

“While we wish Andrew Hemingway the best in his new job opportunity, it is important to note that the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire will not endorse a candidate for president,” said Carolyn McKinney, acting chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “His decision to join a particular presidential campaign was his own and does not reflect the opinion of the organization. We at the RLCNH will remain highly focused on the issues affecting the citizens of New Hampshire as well as the important goal of advancing Common Sense within New Hampshire state government.

“The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire will continue to support the positive changes the Republican majority has made in the State Legislature to reduce spending, reduce taxes, reduce business regulations and foster a job-creating environment by restoring individual liberty, personal responsibility and the state constitution,” McKinney added. “Right now, our main focus is on making sure the Legislature overrides the governor’s several vetoes and then continues to advance a responsible, liberty agenda in Concord. Next, we will turn to candidate recruitment and preparation for the 2012 state primary elections.”

McKinney, a resident of Amherst, has been intricately involved with the behind-the-scenes work of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire for several years as the organization’s executive secretary. Her promotion to acting chairman will be second nature to her. For instance, McKinney was instrumental in the organization’s success in getting 107 endorsed candidates elected to state offices in November 2010; that’s 70 percent of the candidates originally endorsed by the organization.

“The courage of these liberty-minded elected officials under the leadership of House Speaker Bill O’Brien advanced a 10 percent state budget reduction, a fiscally responsible move during hard economic times,” McKinney said. “And now we are seeing the fruits of principled Republican leadership as Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s recently decided to maintain the state’s high AA+ bond rating. Surely, the jobs will follow, particularly if these Republicans continue to push for strong regulatory reform and tax cuts.”

Before joining the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, McKinney worked for the Heritage Foundation as an outreach coordinator motivating groups of activists nationwide. She also served as a Witherspoon Fellow at the Family Research Council working in government affairs.

CONCORD, N.H.–To bolster Republicans’ progress toward responsible government in the House of Representatives, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire is endorsing David Simpson for state representative in a Hillsborough District 3 special election on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Simpson, who is running for a vacant House seat representing the towns of Peterborough, New Ipswich, Sharon and Greenville, would bring important experience to reinforce the already impressive efforts of the Republican majority in restoring the common sense principles of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise and adherence to the state and federal constitutions.

“The Republican majority has demonstrated that they are dedicated to bringing prosperity back to New Hampshire, and David Simpson will be a valuable addition to that effort,” said Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “David’s experience, primarily in the areas of finance, budgets and small businesses, will be important as we continue to undo the economic damage wrought by years of Democrat control and public mismanagement.”

On his Web site, www.davidlsimpson.org, Simpson makes clear his commitment to improving the business climate in New Hampshire, which will lead to economic and job growth. He says he wants to work to protect the New Hampshire Advantage by maintaining a reasonable regulatory balance, making business tax rates more competitive and protecting individuals right to work free from union coercion.

“David Simpson will strengthen Republican efforts to restore common sense government in Concord,” said Hemingway. “He is unwavering in his commitment to the welfare and prosperity of our state, and he understands that the only way to get the state back on the path to prosperity is by returning to our legacy of responsible, honest and limited government.”

In general, endorsed RLCNH candidates are strong proponents of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility and free enterprise. They have shown their dedication to these ideals with their score on RLCNH’s 20-question candidate survey and their reputation among liberty activists. Endorsed candidates must score 80 percent or higher on the survey and they must have a strong character recognized by their peers.

For more information about David Simpson’s candidacy, please visit www.davidlsimpson.org.

CONCORD, N.H.―The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire is urging Tea Party activists, movement conservatives and all party members who love liberty to convert their frustration over Republican Chairman Jack Kimball’s resignation tonight into resolve to join the RLCNH and help elect more people like themselves to positions in the state Legislature.

“Jack Kimball’s resignation from the party chairman position was the right thing for him to do to help unify the Republican Party and help everyone involved with the party move beyond this unfortunately divisive situation,” said Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “Now it is time for activists and party leaders to cooperate and bring the party together so we can prepare for the First in the Nation Primary and victory in the 2012 elections. We have shown repeatedly that our influence and will to serve the people is so much stronger when we work together with Republicans of all varieties to advance the founding principles that made our state and nation great.

“In addition, Jack Kimball’s resignation from the chairman position is the perfect opportunity for Tea Party activists, movement conservatives and all liberty-loving Republicans to unite under another common goal; namely, working with the RLCNH to elect more principled and effective Republicans who value limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise and the New Hampshire and United States constitutions,” Hemingway added.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire endorsed 153 candidates in the 2010 primary, and 107 of those liberty-loving candidates, or 70 percent, were elected into state representative, state senator and executive council positions. Since taking their positions, RLCNH-endorsed elected officials have cut the state budget by $1 billion and passed several pro-business and pro-family pieces of legislation, which will help create a better quality of life in New Hampshire. With more people volunteering to help the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire and its effort to elect principled Republicans, common sense will undoubtedly become more common within the halls of government, and that will reflect positively on the New Hampshire economy and its ability to create private sector jobs.

“Those people in the government and their friends in the media who want us to fail so they can take more of your money to increase the size of government will attempt to make Jack Kimball’s resignation into a repudiation of our movement or as a sign that the Republican Party is falling apart, but we believe the people will see through such politicking and recognize the good that Republicans have done in just one year to create an affordable government that respects the rights of individuals and families,” Hemingway said. “The movement led by the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire to restore our founding principles is much larger than one man or one woman. Looking at the big picture, the successes or failures of one member of this movement are far less important than the success of the effort to restore liberty in America and within the State of New Hampshire.

“We are confident that the people of New Hampshire believe in what RLCNH-endorsed officials are doing in the Legislature and will continue to support those officials and new liberty-minded candidates who stick with our founding principles,” Hemingway added. “We are also confident that our effort will always be more effective and will always have a home within the Republican Party, regardless of who is chairman of the organization.”

To join the RLCNH, sign up using the box in the top right corner of the page.

CONCORD, N.H.―In an effort to ensure a transparent, fair and constructive resolution to the ongoing dispute with the GOP State Committee chairman position, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire urges the Executive Committee to delay its decision and call the full Republican State Committee to order.

“When Republicans campaigned in 2010, they promised to balance the state’s budget just like families do when they sit around the kitchen table,” said Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. “In Concord this year, elected Republicans under the leadership of House Speaker Bill O’Brien and Senate President Peter Bragdon were able to write a budget that spends no more money than the state collects, fulfilling that promise.

“Unfortunately, now that the hard work of balancing the budget has concluded, some internal Republican Party disputes have surfaced, putting ongoing party unity at risk,” Hemingway continued. “Just like a family settles disputes by sitting around the kitchen table and talking through its problems, so must the Republican Party come together to air its grievances and find common ground. I am confident that a state committee meeting will foster the conditions necessary for a united, strengthened party, which is essential to continue the people’s work through 2012.”

On Thursday, the Executive Committee is planning to vote to remove Party Chairman Jack Kimball from his position. Besides the potential for serious party division that this type of top-down decision would engender, there is currently no legal succession plan in the party by-laws following the removal of a party officer. The by-laws specifically mention a succession plan for the “resignation” or “death” of an officer, but they do not have any plan for the “removal” of an officer. Clearly, a resignation is a voluntary action, and a removal is involuntary—two different actions that require a different resolution.

“To prevent continued upheaval and division in the party, it is imperative that the State Committee meet to pass an emergency by-law allowing the state committee to elect a new chairman in the event of a chairman’s removal,” Hemingway said. “Such a plan would ensure a legitimate succession, if one is necessary, and create a stronger Republican Party that recognizes the importance of all of its members.”

Traditionally, State Committee meetings are expensive and take time to put together. Sitting chairmen and any challengers spend months reaching out to all the state committee members, giving them the chance to build coalitions and prepare for the vote. The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire is urging an outside-the-box approach to quickly and effectively resolve the ongoing chairman dispute in a way that will bring the party together.

“We’re proposing that the state committee members come together and nominate chairmen candidates from the floor,” Hemingway said. “We think chairman candidates should stand up in front of the state committee and discuss all the problems facing the party among its members, and then we think they should propose how they intend to resolve the party’s disputes and unite the party for an effective First in the Nation Primary and victory in the 2012 elections.”

In an effort to cut costs, the state committee meeting should be held at Representatives Hall at the State House, which has more than enough seats for all the state committee members to meet. To further control costs, state committee members should be encouraged to bring or buy their own lunches.

“While it is true that this approach has never been tried before, I am confident that it will work, because it is the same approach that works to resolve family disputes,” Hemingway said. “We will come out of this state committee meeting as a stronger party united under a leader whom everyone will be able to stand behind.”