Liberty & Prosperity for New Hampshire

RLCNH 2013-2014 Legislative Agenda

Having successfully helped to restore an appreciation for common sense within the halls of the State House, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire is releasing its 2013-2014 Legislative Agenda to help build on the successes of the current Legislature and ensure liberty and prosperity for generations.

Promoting Private Sector Jobs and Economic Prosperity

Only when government is small and limited in its ability to interfere in the market can an environment for economic growth and job creation develop. RLCNH policies in this area will move New Hampshire in this direction.

• Pass a balanced state budget that continues to cut wasteful spending and lower taxes and fees.
• Pass comprehensive pension reform that phases out defined benefit plans and phases in 401(k)-style defined contribution plans for state employees.
• Pass Right to Work legislation that allows employees to voluntarily choose to join a union, pay union dues and pay agency fees, or opt-out from such voluntary association and payments.
• Pass a law prohibiting automatic collection of union dues through paycheck deduction, a law stripping the requirement for a union to be the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit, and a law restoring legislative oversight of state contracts and union negotiations.
• Pass the Occupational Licensing Relief and Job Creation Act, which ensures that an individual may pursue a lawful occupation free from unnecessary occupational regulations and protects against the use of occupational regulations to reduce competition and increase prices to consumers.
• Create an alternative health insurance option that allows insurers who sell plans including insurance mandates to also sell coverage, including a la carte coverage, that is exempted from all of the health insurance mandates.
• Continue to fight Obamacare by blocking the implementation of a “partnership exchange,” blocking the expansion of Medicaid and telling Congress to repeal and replace the law.

Empowering Parents and Local Communities

Families with children are the true foundation of society, and parents should always be given deference in the way they choose to raise, educate and care for their own children. With more liberty in the area of education and child rearing, New Hampshire can ensure that the next generation of citizens live better than the current one and build a society that helps more people achieve their own American dream.

• Pass a constitutional amendment and supportive bills that protect the natural rights of parents to control the health, education and welfare of their children.
• Expand the Educational Tax Credit and Scholarship Bill passed this year to increase the tax credit from 85 percent to 100 percent, increase the number and amount of scholarships that can be given to students and remove the means testing requirement completely so that all students can be treated equally under the law.
• Continue to roll back state control and oversight over home schooling programs.
• Pass laws to ensure that both parents are treated equally under the law in disputes, and that parents are always considered innocent until proven guilty when accused of abuse or neglect.

Ensuring Limited Government and Individual Liberty

New Hampshire citizens deserve a government that remains subservient to the will of the People of New Hampshire, and not to special interests or state bureaucrats. RLCNH policies in this area are designed to create a government that acts as referee on a level playing field where everyone, including government officials themselves, are treated equally under the law.

• Pass a binding legislative resolution to stop judicial tyranny, making it clear that the People through their elected representatives are the final authority on the constitution and matters of policy.
• Repeal onerous interstate compacts such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and protect the state from multinational overreaches such as Agenda 21 and International Baccalaureate.
• Continue to pursue 10th Amendment laws that nullify excessive federal laws relative to commerce within the state’s boundaries.
• Pass legislation that restores citizens’ standing to sue the government for official oppression and hold governmental agencies and agencies associated with the government accountable to the rule of law, the constitution and the transparency required for good governance.
• Pass Constitutional Carry, which recognizes the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed gun without a license.

While the above priorities reflect the RLCNH goals for 2013-2014 legislative session, the RLCNH  ”Common Sense for New Hampshire” agenda explains in more detail our longterm goals.