The New Hampshire House of Representatives had two sessions in May, on the 11th and the 19th. The House is in the process of going through Senate bills, while the Senate is dealing with House bills. This is called, accurately enough, Crossover.
If there are any changes made by one or the other body, those changes must be concurred with; or not concurred with, in which case the bill dies; or go to a Committee of Conference which may resolve the differences … or not.
We will not get a clear picture of which bills make it through the process since, for the most controversial bills, a Committee of Conference is usually proposed. June 2 is the deadline for all bills to be voted on.
Of the House bills sent back to us from the Senate, quite a few were recommended “to concur,” in which case the bill will become law, barring a veto from the Governor.
HB 1644, screening and intervention for dyslexia, a bill Representative Karen Ebel of New London worked hard on, passed on a voice vote.
HB 1531, to permit opening the State House on weekends at no cost to the State, passed on a voice vote.
HB 430, allowing towns to adopt a property tax credit for all honorably discharged veterans, passed on a voice vote.
HB 297, protecting private customer data from disclosure by a public utility, passed on a voice vote.
SB 336, obtaining a license to conceal carry, passed the House on a 217 to 132 vote and will likely be vetoed by the governor.
SB 498, reducing the penalties for marijuana possession, passed on a 289 to 58 vote.
SB 4, establishing a 30-day domicile requirement to vote, passed on a partisan vote of 203 to 144 and will also likely be vetoed by the Governor.
SB 464,establishing a drug court program for non-violent first time offenders, at a cost of $2.23 million, passed on a voice vote.
SB 426, establishing an end-of-life choices study commission, failed to pass on a 123 to 174 vote and was found Inexpedient to Legislate.
SB 441, raising the fees charged to seniors for skiing at Cannon Mountain and other state parks, was amended to allow free weekday access and passed the House on a 191 to 96 vote.
HB 1161, prohibiting conversion therapy, will go to a conference committee and is not yet a done deal.
In Merrimack County, we have had our first oversight committee meeting on the Concord County Courthouse. There are two bids to choose from, both under the allocated monies.
The League of Women Voters held a forum in New London of elected office holders: Senator Little and seven representatives, including yours truly. I would highly recommend voters attend these forums. They are extremely instructive, with a breadth of knowledge from the various participants who belong to different committees.
I will not be running for a third term. It was an incredible honor and a great pleasure to serve in the General Court of our great State of New Hampshire. Our three towns, Andover, Danbury and Salisbury, need good representation in Concord. I am happy to provide advice to any prospective candidate.
I am always available at 735-5440 or MarioRatzki@nullgmail.com.