Legislative successes—week of January 2, 2012

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