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Shira Schoenberg's Capital Beat has some interesting items. In 2005 newly appointed House Chief of Staff Bob Mead was vice president of a company started by Speaker O'Brien: Outlex Legal Services, LLC, dedicated to outsourcing legal services to India. According to O'Brien, it never took off and the company was dissolved in 2008.
Closer to home, the Committee on Constitutional Review and Statutory Recodification, chaired by Rep Dan Itse (R-Fremont) has been formed to examine states' rights issues in the light of federal legislation.
Itse said the committee will look at states' rights issues to determine whether federal laws that affect New Hampshire are constitutional - such as health care reform or implementation of the interstate commerce clause. It will also look at state legislation. For example, Itse said he believes government can't establish monopolies used to enrich one group of people - like government control of casino gambling. Itse said the committee could consider whether New Hampshire needs a state defense force other than the National Guard; whether the state levies unconstitutional taxes; and whether licensing requirements or continuing education requirements are constitutional. "Is it constitutionally correct to have to ask the government to practice your profession?" Itse asked.
My question is what qualifies Rep. Itse as a constitutional scholar? The information I have says he is an engineer, with a degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. I wouldn't want a lawyer designing a power plant.
A bit of good news: Senate President Peter Bragdon named Senator Matthew Houde (D-Plainfield) as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He voted for marriage equality when the bill first came to the committee in 2009.
Bill O'Brien beat Gene Chandler for the nomination of the Republican caucus to be the next Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives on the second ballot: 142-133.
O'Brien is the co-chair of the House Republican Alliance, whose legislative agenda includes repeal of marriage equality, a constitutional amendment to take the state out of education funding, nullifying health care reform in New Hampshire (O'Brien himself sponsored a floor amendment last spring to make it a felony for a government official to carry it out in this state), among other things.
Adding: I have since heard there are many disappointed Republicans despite the "unified" face. Looking at the numbers above, I can see why. The other thing is that O'Brien is just entering his third term. He doesn't have much experience. At all.
