As quickly as something positive was voted on in yesterday’s final Session, it was taken away by those who abhor government. Some examples:
SB 14 was a bill relative to the penalty for certain fentanyl-related offenses; relative to establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for the crime of distributing a controlled drug with death resulting; and relative to amending the penalties for possession and use of a quantity of psilocybin for persons 18 years of age or older. Rep. Jodie Newell’s D-Keene, speech was personal and moving as she spoke against the bill. Barely four minutes long it can be viewed here at the 33:49 mark. SB 14 was also opposed by the NH Chiefs of Police Association.
A roll-call vote was taken and by just three votes 186N-183Y, the bill failed. Liberty Alliance member Rep. Melissa Litchfield R-Brentwood, called for a “motion to reconsider.” A roll-call vote was taken and lo and behold, 184 for and 182 against meant we would reconsider the bill, which then passed, 185Y-182N. The Senate later tabled it. Having the choice of helping someone who might desperately need it or choosing punishment, the party of cruelty chooses punishment every time.
HB 377 is another cruel jab at transgender people. While constantly touting their championing of “choice” for parents, that comes to a dead stop when it comes to a parent making medical choices for their own child! This bill addresses health care professionals administering hormone treatments and puberty blockers along with recognizing the second Thurs. in Oct. as children's environmental health day. (What one has to do with the other is anyone’s guess.) Rep. Alice Wade D-Dover, gave another emotional, eloquent speech about her own experiences with hormone therapy. Determined to insert themselves where they don’t belong, Republicans crafted this bill to weaken and undermine the rights of parents to choose their minor child’s medical treatment. The bill was amended to allow for those who had already begun treatment before Jan. 1, 2026, to continue in that treatment. Rep. Wade, “That is not parental rights. It's just discrimination, plain and simple.” The bill passed anyway, 202Y-161N. So much for parental “choice” when it comes to their minor child and the “privacy” of the doctor’s office. You can catch the roughly five minute floor speech here at the 4:32:52 mark.
SB 218 is more suppressive absentee ballot requirements. This bill claimed to make absentee voting more secure but what it actually does is make it harder for voters, especially those who are disabled or those who can’t or don’t drive. More than likely, it will end up in the ACLU-NH lawsuit against last year’s voter suppression bill HB 1569, which will cost millions of dollars for NH taxpayers. The bill passed on a voice vote.
HB 506 is a mixed bag of one having nothing to do with the other. As in background checks during motions to return firearms and ammunition; invalidating out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants; and requiring schools to engage an owner's project manager for construction of school building aid projects at the time of application. Got that?
Anyway, it’s the second part of the bill that got the most attention as it targets immigrants again. Rep. David Meuse spoke passionately against this bill which you can see here at the 5:52:15 mark. The bill passed anyway, 197Y-159N. Cruelty lives on.
Rep. Meuse ended his floor speech by saying, “If I know snatching liberty away from any of us opens the door to tyrants snatching it away from all of us, then I would press the red button to flush this anti-immigrant, anti-liberty and pro-cruelty legislation back down into the sewer with the state budget where it belongs.”
And so ended Session shortly thereafter!