By S.D. Plissken | May 12, 2019
A Concord correspondent informs us that there will be thirty-one NH legislative hearings in the upcoming week. Because the next bill will create Utopia.
Every proposed bill passing though the New Hampshire legislature gets a hearing. No exceptions. Any citizen may sign up to testify in support or opposition of those bills. Or you can just go to “hear,” and perhaps to buttonhole our legislators. (Rep. Peter T. Hayward (R), Rep. Abigail Rooney (R), and Sen. Jeb Bradley (R)).
Our correspondent felt that three hearings of the thirty-one hearings held particular interest. They concern proposed bills seeking to prohibit government restrictions on free speech, to increase registry-of-deeds fees, and to increase fees for snowmobile registrations.
HB 154 Hearing – Prohibiting Government Settlement Restrictions on Free Speech
House Bill 154 seeks to “prohibit non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements involving a governmental unit.”
So, you reached a settlement of your lawsuit against some government entity. But that entity demands as a condition of the settlement that you never speak of how completely overbearing and unconstitutional its original overreach was. Government bureaucrats do not want others to know when they have gone too far, and that they can be successfully opposed. They would prefer to muzzle you as a part of their settlement.
This bill would squash that practice. Some rate this free speech-oriented bill as being moderately partisan, in that it was put forward and supported largely by Democrats. It does have some Republican sponsors. It should have 400 sponsors, including our own state representatives Hayward and Rooney.
Its hearing will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 14, in Room 100 of the State House. (Yes, at the very same time as the SB 74 hearing (below)).
SB 74 Hearing – Increasing Registry of Deeds Fees
Senate Bill 74 seeks to increase the “… Register of Deeds fees used to support the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), and establishing a committee to study the economic impact of land conservation.”
A tax by any other name would smell as sour. We have seen Milton officials seeking “grants” from this LCHIP fund. This is another one that should bear Selectman Lucier’s warning label: It comes also from taxation, just taxation exacted at another level of government. It is not “free money.”
Some rated this fee-increasing bill as strongly partisan (from the Democrat side). Do you want to be New Massachusetts, people? This is how you turn into New Massachusetts: constantly increasing fees, fines, and taxes. Always for a “good cause,” of course. Except when they play bait and switch, as they did already with the supposedly ear-marked Keno money.
Its hearing will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 14, in Room 202 of the Legislative Office Building. (Yes, at the very same time as the HB 154 hearing (above)).
SB 187 Hearing – Increasing Snowmobile Fees
Senate Bill 187 seeks to increase “OHRV dealer and rental agency registration fees and snowmobile registration fees.”
Again, a tax by any other name would smell as sour. Some rated this as a bipartisan bill. Apparently, increasing snowmobile registration fees is a bipartisan thing. No “good cause” specified; just more for government.
Evergreen Valley Snowmobile Club, the NH Senate is calling your name. They would like to hear your opinion regarding snowmobile registration fee increases at their SB 187 hearing.
The hearing will be held at 10:45 AM on Wednesday, May 15, in Room 202 of the Legislative Office Building. (Yes, the very same place as the SB 74 hearing of the previous day (above)).
“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session” – Gideon J. Tucker
References:
Legiscan. (2019). New Hampshire House Bill 154. Retrieved from legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB154/2019
Legiscan. (2019). New Hampshire Senate Bill 74. Retrieved from legiscan.com/NH/bill/SB74/2019
Legiscan. (2019). New Hampshire Senate Bill 187. Retrieved from legiscan.com/NH/bill/SB187/2019
NH General Court. (2019). Directions to the State House and Legislative Office Building. Retrieved from www.gencourt.state.nh.us/misc/directions/default.html
NH General Court. (2019). Representative Peter T. Hayward. Retrieved from www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/member.aspx?member=408928
NH General Court. (2019). Representative Abigail Rooney. Retrieved from www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/member.aspx?pid=9274
NH General Court. (2019). Roster of the New Hampshire State Senators (including Senator Jeb Bradley). Retrieved from gencourt.state.nh.us/Senate/members/senate_roster.aspx
NH Government. (2019). Concord State Office Locator. Retrieved from www.nh.gov/government/locator-map.htm
Milton Observer 