(Team O'Brien sinks to new lows in an attempt implement their radical agenda. Not only do they thumb their noses at the Judicial and Executive branches but to their siblings in the Legislative branch as well. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
Just when you think there might be a break in the weirdness that is the current NH House, there isn't. At today's House session, we broke for lunch early, and returned late, so the Republicans could have another mid-session caucus. Here's what they are up to now:
For those of you who are celebrating the death in the Senate of some of the House Republican leadership's more excessive efforts, get ready for another round. Speaker O'Brien and Majority Leader Bettencourt are attaching measures passed by the House and subsequently killed by the Senate back onto Senate bills as they pass the House, seeking another bite at the apple, as it were.
Four bills were amended in this fashion.
SB 378, an innocuous bill allowing municipalities to remove snow from private roads and driveways, was lumbered with a do-over on one of the anti-union bills allowing public employers to request de-certification of bargaining units. This manouver may count for extra credits with respect to sticking it to people, as Senate President Bragdon was a sponsor of the snowplow bill. Another sponsor was Rep. Jennifer Daler, who had the temerity to win an election in the Speaker's district.
SB 272, which addressed some of the problems attendant on the defunding of the CHINS program by modifying some of the truancy laws, was the recipient of another anti-labor provision mandating that a member of the county convention be permitted to observe collective bargaining sessions at the county level.
SB 155 was a bill which would allow greater deductions for business expenses under the business profits tax. The underlying bill would have given a benefit to businesses,, but would also have resulted in even less revenue to the state to use for infrastructure and education, which are also necessary to a healthy business climate. Republican leadership spliced onto this bill the particularly mean-minded moratorium on immigration provisions killed by the Senate only this morning.
And finally, SB 295, a bill increasing the research and development tax credit, was the recipient of the newly resurrected 24 hour waiting period before an abortion. This piece of brinksmanship certainly makes it clear that all that talk by Speaker O'Brien and DJ Bettencourt about being focussed like a laser on jobs and the economy is just so much hot air. Speaker O'Brien is one of the sponsors of this amendment that holds a bill designed to promote business development hostage to the radical right's social agenda. House Republican leadership's priorities could not be made more plain.
And for the icing on the cake, six other Senate bills passed by the House in the morning session were then tabled in the afternoon session so they , too, can be used as vehicles for more of this counterproductive gamesmanship. In at least one case, the tabling motion will delay measures necessary for the Deapartment of Corrections to achieve savings it needs to meet its budget obligations in this biennium. Any delay makes it fore difficult to meet the savings goals. Apparently it is okay for the state budget to bleed dollars while the bill lies on the table.
Focussed like a laser on jobs and the economy, or holding their breath til their faces turn blue because they did not get their way? You be the judge, and stay tuned.
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