What should have been an almost relaxing morning session on June 16 turned into an all-day slug fest, with the outcome never in doubt.

HB 1000, which allocates $1.5 million to law enforcement officials to combat drug dealers, had been defeated in the previous session of June 1. The bill had come out of conference committee coupled with another bill that would have raised premiums and co-pays for state retirees over 65. In a bipartisan vote (including yours truly), the House decided to jettison both bills rather than raise costs for our seniors. Flash forward to June 16 and HB 1000 was back, as a single bill.

While the bill had the support of the leadership of both parties and was a shoo in, an animated minority of about 100 mostly Republicans did all it could to derail the bill. It was Republicans on Republicans, while the Democrats looked on in amazement. In the end, the bill sailed through on a bipartisan vote of 235 to 74, but not until 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

We had six vetoes from the Governor to deal with. By the third veto, there were only 267 representatives left in the chamber, but Speaker Jasper made the call that two-thirds of members present (as opposed to two-thirds of all 400 representatives) was sufficient for a quorum. I believe that even the most ardent O’Brien supporters were by then quite tired and did not object.

Every single veto was sustained when no vote to override could even reach the required two-thirds when barely two-thirds of the representatives (Democrats and Republicans) were present.

Vetoes sustained were:

HB 512, prohibiting the confiscation of firearms during a state of emergency. The veto was sustained by a 169 to 130 partisan vote. This was a badly written bill that did not take the commitment of a crime into consideration or the possible lawsuits some law enforcement agencies could face.

HB 533, relative to installation requirements for arc-fault circuit interrupters. The veto was sustained by a 179 to 112 vote. The State Fire Marshal had come out against the bill.

HB 582, the most controversial bill the House had passed this year, repealing the license requirement for carrying a concealed weapon, with zero background checks. The veto was sustained by a 150 to 117 partisan vote.

HB 1208, relative to the tobacco tax. The veto was sustained by a 145 to 108 vote.

HB 1266, legalizing firecrackers. The veto was sustained by a 132 to 119 vote.

HB 1637, allowing students who live in towns with no public school to attend secular or religious schools. The veto was sustained by a 118 to 103 vote.

It is unlikely that we will reconvene again this year in Concord, but I remain your state representative until December 31.

Again I want to thank all who voted for me in previous elections and those who did not, but were invariably friendly towards me.

I am happy to endorse my good friend Mary Anne Broshek, who will run for Merrimack County District 1, our beautiful towns of Andover, Danbury and Salisbury. She will run a write-in campaign in the Democratic primary on September 13, and I urge everyone to support her. She is eminently qualified, and her experience with Health and Human Services will be a boon for our seniors and our children in need here in our district.

I am calling on all to try to get rid of bittersweet. Please.

I am always available at 735-5440 and at MarioRatzki@nullgmail.com.