Update On The Legislation Allowing 17 Year Olds To Vote In New Hampshire Primaries

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 19:50:30 PM EDT

The legislation, Senate Bill 436, sponsored by several Democrats including Senators Joe Foster, Peter Burling, and Lou D'Allesandro as well as Representatives Carol Gargasz and Jane Clemons, has been "tabled" by the House so that the State Supreme Court will answer questions as to whether it is constitutional to allow 17 year olds to vote in primaries.  

IF the Court opines "yes," the legislation could be taken from the table before the end of this Legislative Session in June, but that is unlikely.  It will take perhaps until mid to late May for the Court to offer an opinion,  and it will take a 2/3rds vote to remove it from the table.  The Republicans, generally, seem opposed to passage.  NH Republican Chair Fergus Cullen made some weird comment about this being a "pumpkin bill," some reference to legislation from a couple of years ago.  I responded that he's comparing apples to oranges.  I guess he likes fruit.

Anyway, this isn't really a delay, because the bill would as recommended by the House Election Law Committee have an effective date of the end of this year, making it applicable to the September 2010 state primary at the earliest.  So a Supreme Court opinion as to constitutionality is a wise thing to request since when the legislation is reintroduced later this year for the 2009 Legislative Session, it can be properly written, and if it needs to be a Constitutional Amendment instead of a statutory change that can be accomplished at that time.  

I hope we'll see eventual passage of this bill, despite the opposition it has received from some quarters.  The fact is, 17 year olds can join the military to be trained to fight in the American wars that our President and the Congress commits our nation to.  They at least should have the right to vote in the primaries where the political parties decide who to put up as nominees.  Besides, I think a lot of 17 year olds are less biased and are a lot smarter than many of us who are two, three, four times their senior.  

The "Granny D. Bill" Passes The New Hampshire House And Senate

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 18:31:01 PM EDT

House Bill 794 creates a seven-member group which will consider public funding options of certain campaigns in New Hampshire -- possibly Governor, State Senate, and Governor's Council.  So, this legislation could eventually dramatically affect for the good the way that democracy is exercised in our state.

After a public hearing early last year the bill was sent to a House Election Law Subcommittee which I chaired.  There I saw first-hand the enthusiasm for the concept of this bill that Granny D and others brought to her cause as we held a dozen work sessions on the bill.

The Subcommittee even met with Maine State Representatives to learn more about how public funding of certain campaigns works in that state.  Altogether, we had over 35 hours of discussion on this bill in the Legislature. HB 794 passed the House on January 16th on a roll call of 199 to 121.

I have dubbed House Bill 794 as "THE GRANNY D BILL," because this is her cause.  She walked across America in support of "clean elections."  In light of the ever-increasing costs of running for public office and the reliance on personal wealth or extensive fundraising in order to run for public office, this bill seeks to allow for a different approach to funding campaigns for potential candidates without such financial sources.

Legislation similar to the original version of HB 794 was almost passed by the 2000 Legislature.  A bill creating public financing of campaigns passed the State Senate that year, and came within 28 votes of passage in the then-Republican controlled House after a lengthy discussion.   GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN was prepared to sign the bill.

The people on the bipartisan Commission created by HB 794 will dedicate dedicate themselves in the next few months to the task of identifying alternative ways to fund state campaigns.  The  Commission will examine potential revenue sources for funding and develop recommendations to the legislative session of 2009.

This Commission, under the directives of the bill, may consider voluntary contributions, in-kind donations of services, and other means to generate revenue.  The Commission will include not more than three members of a political party.   No Commission members can currently hold elective office.   Two appointments are to be made by the House Speaker, two by the Senate President, two by the Governor, and one by the Secretary of State.  The Commission will report back by December 1, 2008, in time for legislative action in 2009.  

Some twelve states already have "clean election" laws at one level or another, with Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut having statewide versions affecting most elected offices.  This concept has been publicly endorsed by leaders and people who have run for "higher office" from both parties:  former GOVERNOR WALTER PETERSON, former Gubernatorial candidate JIM RUBINS, former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee JOHN RAUH, former Gubernatorial nominee PAUL McEACHERN and former State Senators CLIF BELOW and RICK TROMBLY, among others.  

In addition, SECRETARY OF STATE BILL GARDNER has been a strong advocate of the legislation and the public funding concept.  A number of other long-time supporters of the Granny D cause who have worked with her for the past decade also contributed to the success of the legislation to this point. Representatives of the League of Women Voters, NH Citizens Alliance, Americans for Campaign Reform, Public Action for Clean Elections, and Veterans for Peace NH have also supported the legislation.

I think the Commission will do its job well, and that it will come up with inventive, innovative ways to implement the concept here "The New Hampshire Way."  

House Bill 794 was cosponsored by Representatives PETER ALLEN, BETTY HALL, DANA HILLIARD, BARBARA RICHARDSON, SENATOR JACKIE CILLEY, and myself.   Several members of the House Election Law Committee worked especially hard on making the bill succeed, including DAVID PIERCE, who prepared the amendment creating the Commission, CLAUDIA CHASE and CHUCK WEED, who were on the Subcommittee which I chaired, along with David Pierce and Betty Hall and went to a number of meetings on the bill, and COMMITTEE CHAIR JANE CLEMONS, who helped in passage on the House Floor.

But this one really is a great victory for Granny D -- who repeatedly would tell us this isn't "about her," it's not even "about us," it's about our children, and our future.  

She's right.
 

The "Granny D Bill" Passes The House, Commission To Study Public Funding Of NH Campaigns

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 00:05:49 AM EST

The legislation, House Bill 794, has gone through a thorough review during the past year.  After a public hearing last March it was sent to a House Election Law Subcommittee which I chaired.  We held a dozen worksessions on the bill.  The Subcommittee even met with Maine State Representatives to learn more about how public funding of certain campaigns works in that state.  

House Bill 794 is dubbed "THE GRANNY D BILL," because this is her cause.  She walked across America in support of "clean elections."  In light of the ever-increasing costs of running for public office and the reliance on personal wealth or extensive fundraising in order to run for public office, this bill seeks to allow for a different approach to funding campaigns for potential candidates without such financial sources.

Legislation similar to the original version of HB 794 was almost passed by the 2000 Legislature.  A bill creating public financing of campaigns passed the State Senate that year, and came within 28 votes of passage in the House after a lengthy discussion.   GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN was prepared to sign the bill.

Under this legislation, a bipartisan Commission of seven public members will be created to dedicate themselves to the task of identifying alternative ways to fund state campaigns.  The commission will examine potential revenue sources for funding and develop recommendations to the legislative session of 2009.

This Commission, under the directives of the bill, may consider voluntary contributions, in-kind donations of services, and other means to generate revenue.  The Commission would include not more than three members of a political party.   No Commission members would currently hold elective office.   Two appointments would be made by the House Speaker, two by the Senate President, two by the Governor, and one by the Secretary of State.  The Commission would report back by December 1, 2008, in time for legislative action in 2009.  

Some twelve states already have "clean election" laws.  This concept has been publicly endorsed by leaders and people who have run for "higher office" from both parties:  former GOVERNOR WALTER PETERSON, former Gubernatorial candidate JIM RUBINS, former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee JOHN RAUH, former Gubernatorial nominee PAUL McEACHERN and former State Senators CLIF BELOW and RICK TROMBLY, among others.  I think the Commission will do its job well, and that it will come up with inventive, innovative ways to implement the concept there "The New Hampshire Way."  

The original version of House Bill 794 was cosponsored by Representatives PETER ALLEN, BETTY HALL, DANA HILLIARD, BARBARA RICHARDSON, SENATOR JACKIE CILLEY, and myself.   Several members of the House Election Law Committee worked especially hard on making the bill succeed, including DAVID PIERCE, who prepared the amendment creating the Commission, CLAUDIA CHASE and CHUCK WEED,who were on the Subcommittee along with David Pierce and Betty Hall and went to a number of meetings on the bill, and COMMITTEE CHAIR JANE CLEMONS, who helped in passage on the House Floor.

But this one was really a great victory for Granny D -- who repeatedly would tell us this isn't "about her," it's not even "about us," it's about our children, and our future.  

She's right.  Now it's onto the State Senate.  

NHDP Elections Thread

by: Nicholas Gunn

Sat Mar 10, 2007 at 11:58:10 AM EST

As I understand it, aside from the race for party chair there are two other competitive races this year for party office:

NHDP Treasurer: Alex Lee vs. Rick Trombly

Alex Lee:

Lee has been a strong force in the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) since quitting his job as assistant to the commissioners at the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission to work on the Dean for America campaign in 2003. In 2004, he ran a nearly successful state senate campaign for Chesterfield State Representative McKim Mitchell, when McKim decided to take on then-Senate President Tom Eaton. He chairs the Concord City Democrats and is an at-large member of the Merrimack County Democratic Executive Committee.

Rick Trombly:
A former State Senator from Merrimack Country, and former DNC member from NH.  Rick is also involved with the NH NEA.

2nd Vice Chair: Peter Glenshaw vs Jane Clemons

Peter Glenshaw:

Peter recently started a blog and his first post happens to be about why he's running for 2nd Vice Chair.

I'm running for 2nd Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party because I can do a better job managing the Resolutions Committe at the State Convention, which is the one specific responsibility assigned to this position.

I think anyone who attended the 2006 Convention will remember how the resolutions were handled that day.

It was noisy and almost impossible to hear anyone debating the resolutions.  The microphones did not work well and there no loudspeakers in the back of the room.  Because vendors and candidates rented tables adjacent to where the Convention delegates sat and debated the resolutions, their conversations spilled onto the Convention floor, making it almost impossible for any delegate in the back to hear.

Jane Clemons:
A long time Representitive from Nashua's 6th ward, and chair of the Nashua City Democrats.  Jane iswas the Deputy Democratic leader in the NH House, and the current  2nd Vice Chair of the NHDP.

Use this thread to discuss these races, as well as any other issues to be discussed at the upcoming State Committee meeting.