There was a strange cry of relief in the woods behind my barn the other night, and I guessed it came from a New Hampshire bobcat.
After a marathon session in early April, the pace in the New Hampshire House slowed on March 23, when we voted on the last of the House bills before referring them to the Senate.
HB 280, allowing new license plate options for veterans, came out of committee with a kill recommendation, but that recommendation was overturned on the floor by a 103 to 249 vote and passed on a voice vote.
HB 626, requiring the Department of Transportation to designate energy infrastructure corridors (think buried lines along the highways), passed on a voice vote.
HB 1531, allowing the State House to be open on weekends, passed on a voice vote.
HB 602, relative to the use of drones, came out of committee with an 8 to 7 vote to kill the bill, but that recommendation was overturned on the floor by an Ought To Pass vote of 250 to 114. The winning side was opposed to the weaponization of drones and the use of drones to fire tear gas at demonstrators. This bill may run afoul of federal law on drones which is now being crafted in Washington.
HB 1681 removes the penalty for having a residual/non-usable amount of drug in a syringe and passed on a 272 to 86 vote.
Education committee bills proved to be the most contentious this session.
HB 1120, requiring all charter school teachers to be certified like public school teachers, failed on a 267 to 96 vote.
HB 1229, prohibiting a statewide assessment result from being included in a transcript without parents’ consent (if the student is under 18 years old), passed on a 227 to 138 vote.
HB 1338, allowing parents to remove their children from having to take a statewide student assessment test, passed on a partisan vote of 204 to 151.
HB 1153, an important bill prohibiting a municipality from restricting a sex offender’s residency, passed on a 264 to 92 vote. Forbidding sex offenders from returning to their hometown, where their family can help them reintegrate into society, was seen as counterproductive. Another concern was that they would simply go underground and be impossible to track. This was a bill supported by law enforcement.
HB 1610, legalizing the possession and cultivation of marijuana in small quantities, was tabled on a vote of 229 to 119. This bill and SB 498, dealing with the same issue, may come back in conference committee.
HB 1661, prohibiting conversion therapy for persons under 18, passed on a 229 to 99 vote.
An April 6 session was mercifully quick, dealing with the first of the Senate bills.
SB 453 passed in the consent calendar and would require individuals engaged in child care to submit to a criminal background check.
SB 441, repealing seniors’ free and discounted access to state parks and state ski areas, passed on a vote of 171 to 158. I am proud to say I voted against it.
HB 1116, raising the net metering cap from 50 megawatts to 100 for a 10-month period, had already passed the House and has now passed the Senate. SB 378, dealing with the same issue, but on a longer-term basis, must be reconciled between the Senate and the House, something a ranking member of Science and Technology told me should take place soon.
I am always available at 735-5440 or at MarioRatzki@nullgmail.com.