There are times when public officials, representatives, and voters just have to say no, such as, when a proposal is not sound, reasonable, or affordable. They must be firm in their convictions for the common good, and base their decisions not on personalities or popularity but instead on the use of good judgment to advance […]
Louise! My reaction to your co-sponsorship of Bill HB 1473 is: No social-emotional learning in schools? No relationships, mentoring, civic engagement? Where did you get this?! Have you not seen what happened to kids of all ages during the COVID-19 pandemic? Not only did they lose valuable academic skills and time, they also lost the […]
Some days ago I listened to the former candidate for Chancellor of Germany, Mr Armin Laschet, who was giving a speech warning of the dangers of extreme right positions within some groups in current German society. His warning: “Don’t let these groups come close to governmental functions; they will use their positions to destroy democracy.” Does this […]
Happy Maple Syrup Season which means Spring is just around the corner! The House and Senate have been very busy with bills in committee public hearings and House sessions. In the Judiciary Committee, we have had hearings on bills like: HB 1602 , relative to the authority of the housing appeals board; HB 1283, relative […]
On the Homemade Food Front, HB 1565 w/A, sponsored by Representative Matt Coulon, was recently passed by a full House vote. Fondly described as the “pickle bill,” the amendment to RSA 143-A Food Service Licensure allows for the production of acidified canned foods (e.g., pickles, relish) in residential kitchens without licensure, which, when signed into […]
The Town of Danbury Selectmen irresponsibly, in my opinion, voted to “recommend” an ill-advised $3M, 20-year bond for a so-called “safety center” (Article 4 on the ballot). In contrast, the Budget Committee wisely “does not recommend” the article. Meanwhile, voters in the towns of Groton, Bridgewater, and Hebron will be voting on whether or not […]
Happy February. The citizens of New Hampshire have voted in the Primary and are gearing up for voting on school and municipal budgets and election of candidates for office. Streaming videos of standing committee meetings and joint committees can be found at www.youtube.com/c/NHHouseofRepresentativesCommitteeStreming. The New Hampshire House and Senate Committees are in full swing […]
What’s in a Name? Whereas the term “cottage foods” is used to describe regulated homemade food products in most states’ regulatory schemes, in New Hampshire, the term “homestead food products” is instead used, which, most likely unintentionally, skews the law in favor of farmers. With all due respect to farmers who may be homesteading, (i.e., […]
Confusion over homemade food regulations
Statutes relating to homemade food regulation, trade name registration when the term “farmers market” is used in the business or domestic nonprofit’s name, and conformance with the definition of farmers market do not align to support the interests of the regulated, and are fraught with a risk of a complaint and imposition of enforcement of […]
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published in January 1776, 14 months after he arrived from England, and many months after the war with England began at Concord and Lexington. The pamphlet was an overnight success and Paine became the most popular and widely read author in the American colonies. Common Sense established Paine as one […]