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I attended 3 hearings today in Concord. It was a mad whirl that provided a bouquet of bizarre bills and even more bizarre commentary.
I began with HB 343, the attempt to create a NH Permanent Defense Force. Through the testimony of Rep. Itse, I learned that this was the bill's third iteration. Given that he's written, revised, and testified about this bill 3 times, one might think he'd know it backwards and forwards and be able to answer any question about it. One would be wrong.
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He testified that the bill would cost the taxpayers nothing, which was (as one committee member) pointed out, in conflict with the fiscal impact statement. Itse couldn't really explain that, but he did point out how helpful this defense force would be in the event of an ice storm. (Clearly I should have taken the shotgun to the ice dams on my roof.)
When asked about the criteria for accepting volunteers, Itse replied, "Im out of my depth with this question."
The highlight of the hearing was the testimony of a member of the VT State Defense Force. It seems very likely that Rep. Itse, or one of the other sponsors of the bill brought the guy in. I'm positive he didn't just wander into this hearing by mistake. He was a big, loud man, who sat down to testify, stated his name (I couldn't hear it) and said he was from VT. Then he asked the committee which one of them was his representative?
Ooops.
The minister "you people in red are intimidating" from last week's hearing was there. He is Garrett Lear, the self styled "Patriot Pastor." He testified that HB 343 is a "Biblical Mandate."
Will Hopkins, Iraq War Vet and executive director of NH Peace Action testified. General Redell of the NH National Guard testified as to how unnecessary this bill is, and how much liability it would create for the state. More compelling testimony came from Rep. Rice, a veteran who summed it up nicely, "Leave the military to the professionals."
As the hearing ended, the brothers from VT left the room, shaking their heads, "they think it's all about the guns. It's not all about the guns." A reporter from the Concord Monitor stopped them to ask the one who testified if he'd spell his name for him, and the man bellowed, "Is that a LIBERAL PAPER, haw, haw haw." I commented that there were no liberal papers in NH. VT guy glared at me.
Throughout the hearing, the sponsors and supporters of the bill emphasized how something like this was needed to help with emergencies. If that were really the case, why does it have to be a Defense Force? The intent of the words defense and force speak for themselves. This really is state sovereignty/secessonist militia organizing, on the taxpayer's teat.
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