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Today the New Hampshire House did the right thing. Today the New Hampshire Senate failed to. As a result, untold numbers of patients who choose the only avenue that allows them relief from pain and nausea are still criminals.
After a brief debate, the House, by a 240-115 vote, overrode the Governor's veto of HB 648, the medical marijuana bill. The pro arguments were, as usual, bipartisan, reasoned, moving and passionate. The anti arguments were, as usual, largely nonsensical partisan chaff.
One feature of NH legislative debate is that after any member has spoken to a bill, any other member may request that he or she yield to a question. This is done to request clarification, to disagree, to concur, to make additional points, to correct errors of fact, and for many other reasons.
After the debate is over, the Speaker allows two additional speakers, one for the pending motion and one against, in order to make clear exactly what pushing the green button (voting Yes) means. The speakers will almost always make one last brief argument for their side while doing so. (For example, "If you believe, as I believe, that American cheese is a disgusting and degraded substance, adequate perhaps to caulking drafty windows in an emergency, but utterly unworthy of inclusion in the cheese family, and that under no circumstances whatsoever should it be declared the state cheese of New Hampshire, will you please vote Yes by pushing the green button to approve the motion of inexpedient to legislate.") However, as these speakers are technically only making Parliamentary Inquiries, they are not subject to questions.
June may be flowers and sunshine outside, but inside the State House it's ugly. It's the perennial dance of obstinance, righteousness, anger, and frustration. Ratchet it up many notches: welcome to the 2010-11 budget process .
When I was in the senate, there were dire warnings of a perhaps $200 million shortfall. Now we're talking $500-600 million.
What's a state government to do? Well, of course, more of the same, only worse.
Raise taxes we now have, such as rooms and meals tax from 8 to 8.75 percent? That burdens the hospitality industry, so vital to NH's identity and strength.
Wipe out the business enterprise tax credit? Small businesses can least afford it in this historic recession.
Then there's the idea to hike the cigarette tax another 35 to 45 cents a pack. True, it discourages smoking and taxes what we don't want, which is good. But it also whacks those least able to pay.
Then there's the ingenious idea of broadening the real estate transfer tax to include those refinancing their homes to cut their monthly payments. Once again, hitting those already burdened, those who are doing all they can to reduce their family's debt.
Then there's the perennial Lou D'Allesandro Special: expanded gambling. In a big change from his past efforts, this year the senate approved it (at midnight, with no public hearing).
Thirteen thousand slot machines, creating a new behemoth of an industry, eclipsing all other business interests. which would clearly have the ability, and motivation, to manipulate and dominate New Hampshire politics. The revenue estimates of $185 million are highly suspect. This whole column could specify ways in which the costs to NH greatly outweigh any promised benefits, but I'll spare you.
Some fee-raising ideas in both the House and Senate proposed budgets are indeed benign: raising the automobile license fee from 50 to $60, and car registration from 10 to $25. That $31m is targeted to much needed bridge and road repair. Rasing the permit for out of staters to carry a concealed weapon from $20 to $100 raises $1.7 million. Cutting the budget for charter schools which generally cost more than public schools and as Lou D'Allesandro points out, "These students all have a place in a public school."
Clearly each of these options carries pain. One factor that is constant is that each and every budget cycle somehow finds a one-time pot of gold it can ransack. This year, it's $100 million from a 30 year old account to help make malpractice insurance affordable. But even that option is likely to face a successful lawsuit.
Many of these ideas would almost certainly exascerbate the state's reeling private sector economy.
Needs continue to mount: schools are in need of repair, our population is older than most states, the call for social services rises as the recession drags on. In both the House and Senate verisons cuts will hurt more than people expect.
Republicans call for an 8 percent spending cut across all areas of state government. That's not only callous, it's just plain crazy. The agencies that deliver needed services do amazingly well given the little they get now.
There is one constant in all this: the tradition of just tweaking here and there, sweeping the revenue problem under the rug year after year after year by resorting to increased fees, truly nickel and diming us into harder times for all. I hate to publicly agree with a Republican, but Senator Gatsas is right:: "Downshifting is not something that local communities can afford, (this budget leaves) no other place to go other than the property tax."
How long will it take until that bump from sweeping our problems under the rug gets so big NH trips and falls? the tipping point is fast approaching.
Conventional wisdom is that Lynch's first victory was a referendum on the income That is not fully accurate; there were personalities which weighed heavily into the outcome.
New Hampshire's wealthiest have had a long, very easy ride on the backs of all other taxpayers.
The more time we avoid the inevitable: simple tax fairness, the more pain we will have chosen to inflict on ourselves.
(putting in separate diary so folks can easily check-in)
Thanks to all who are here, in person or in spirit. I'm posting updates here at Blue Hampshire and also on Twitter (NHfreedom2marry).
The rally began at 9:00 AM on the State House plaza, with great speakers including Dawn from Planned Parenthood, a family from the Concord area (including a wonderful speech by 9-year old Annie), a rousing pep talk by Senator Martha Fuller Clark,
"Today I call on all my Senate and House colleagues to vote in favor of equality. It's time for liberty and freedom."
and a touching personal story from proud mother of two gay children, Mary Townsend.
Kicked off with the pledge of allegiance and closed with the crowd singing the Star Spangled Banner together, NH's strong values of freedom and equality rang loud and clear throughout the entire rally.
The highlight speaker was Mo Baxley of NH Freedom to Marry. Mo is one of the faces of the fight for equality in New Hampshire, and you never would have guessed that this tiny figure in a pale blue suit would have taken the stage in the manner she did, striding to the podium and immediately projecting a voice of fierce determination and dogged passion.
The Senate vote was heard on the plaza, and I have to tell you - it was awesome. The response and energy here has been non-stop and we're going to keep it going as long as it takes!
Crowd reacting to Senate vote (most folks were in gallery, we have a crew inside and out):
A member of Granite State Progress just sent me this hilarious - yet very accurate - graph about the consequences of gay marriage. I hadn't seen it before, but it looks like it first popped up at Mother Jones.
Which reminds me - were where you all be on June 3rd? Y'know, the day when NH decides whether to stand for marriage equality.
(I'm FP-ing this for two reasons. One, yet another example of how the Sununu Dynasty reigns supreme among NH elephants, and two, because just having returned from the totally awesome Children's Festival at Peterborough today, it's pleasurable to think about how many DFHs live in and around the BassMaster's home base. - promoted by Dean Barker)
In an interview in today's Keene Sentinel, Charlie is tentatively sort of maybe kinda open to the possibility of considering a run for Senate or his former seat in the House.
"I'm getting around and visiting, on a very informal basis, with my friends and supporters," Bass told The Sentinel earlier this week.
"It turns out there are a few of them left interested in talking with me. That's been very encouraging. Does that mean I'm a candidate? No, but I'm giving it some thought," he said.
The NH House passed the budget bill on Wednesday and the budget trailer bill (the bill that makes changes to laws so the budget actually works) on Thursday. The opposition party proposed more than 10 amendments to strip out revenues, including one that would hand out an additional $5 million to insurance companies in the state (talk about screwed-up priorities). None passed. They also proposed to balance the budget by magically reducing total expenses by 13% without saying where and how, or worrying if it is even possible. Now that's responsible!
The US House of Representatives just voted to outlaw waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques". (Was that Orwell I heard turning over in his grave?). Here's a short blurb from the ap:
( http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/200... )
It's sad this even has to be mentioned, but at least the legislature is trying to reign in the CIA. Should've been done long ago.
Last week, in a nationwide phone call organized by Progressive Democrats of America, Dennis Kucinich reportedly announced:
he will go before the U.S. House of Representatives on a point of personal privilege to move the impeachment of Dick Cheney. Mr. Kucinich stated he will bring the impeachment forward before Thanksgiving.
(It's time to push back, folks. A majority of Granite Staters oppose escalating this war (see my comment), so we need to make sure the committee understands that. And thanks as always, Representative Splaine. - promoted by Dean)
House Resolution 10 was voted on in the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee Thursday. By a vote of 10-7, the majority of the Committee amended the Resolution to essentially change it into a support-of-the-mission call.
Introduced by Portsmouth State Representative Paul McEachern and myself three weeks ago, HR 10 originally opposed President George W. Bush's Iraq policy and urged the President and Congress to take actions relative to veterans' benefits and the war in Iraq. It also called for "timely withdrawal," and asked for conferences with the neighboring countries.
The Committee amendment took out references from our Resolution that opposed President Bush's surge of 20,000+ troops, which was part of the Congressional Resolution opposing the surge that was approved in Washington last month. The amendment also calls for remaining in Iraq until the mission or the "task" is accomplished, whatever that means.
But, all this isn't a lost cause for us. Paul McEachern and I introduced the Resolution to generate the discussion, and that discussion will continue. A "minority report" has been written by those on the Committee who are opposed to the amendment. The issue will be discussed next week on the floor of the House, and we will make an effort to defeat the amendment, and pass HR 10 as originally drafted. If we're successful, we will have made our point stronger than ever.
House members need to hear from readers who would like to express their feelings. Again, thanks to nhcollegedem and other Bloggers on www.BlueHampshire.com for promoting this issue. We're going to try to win this one.
