Well, they’re at it again. Pushing “Right-to-Work.” This bill concerns the collective bargaining rights of unions and was scheduled to be voted on last week right after the public hearing. But the overwhelming amount of online and in person testimony resulted in the committee Chair postponing the vote until early next week.

What this is about: HB 735-FN would require that every public sector union would need to recertify by a vote of the majority of the bargaining unit when the current members of the unit have never voted on the issue.

This legislation impacts an immense majority of the almost 700 local unions representing police officers, firefighters, municipal, county, and state employees, university faculty and staff, teachers, and school staff unions. This would create chaos as well as an unnecessary expense on public employers. It is also an unnecessary burden meant to weaken their power. This is another attempt to eliminate public sector unions in New Hampshire.  

Immediate Action Needed – Stop the Attack on Public Sector Employees

The hearing on HB 735-FN is scheduled before the House Labor, Industrial, and Rehabilitative Services Committee on Tues., Jan. 28, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. A huge in-person showing at this hearing would be helpful. However, if you can’t attend, please immediately REGISTER YOUR OPPOSITION at the following link, https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/.

Directions are as follows:

·       Fill in your Personal Information

·       Select the date and committee for the hearing by clicking on it in the Meeting Schedule Calendar (make sure you are on the right week!). HB 735-FN and select the date – Jan. 28th.

·       In the dropbox below "Select the Committee," select House Labor, Industrial, Rehabilitative Services

·       In the dropbox below "Choose the Bill," select the appropriate time and bill number. 3:30pm – HB 735-FN

·       Select the appropriate option for the "I am" dropbox (most likely "Member of the Public").

·       Fill in the content box under "I'm Representing" with the business, organization, or group you are representing. If you are representing yourself only, write "myself."

·       Under the “Indicate Your Position on this Bill,” check the circle stating your position on the bill. “I Oppose this Bill”

 After filling in all the appropriate dropboxes, click “Submit.”

·       After clicking submit, you will be brought to the next page, where you fill in the content boxes with your first and last name, as well as your town, state, and email address.

·       Press “Continue.”

·       If you wish to speak during the hearing to present your testimony, you will need to attend in person at the State House, but you upload your testimony if you cannot attend.

·       If you wish to submit testimony on the bill, email the relevant committee and upload the testimony file from your computer. Takes minutes to complete.

Thank you for standing with unions!

Liberty Alliance and Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) member, Rep. Julia Harvey-Bolia (R-Tilton) has sponsored a “preventative” bill, HB 71 aimed at yet another “problem” that doesn’t exist! The bill states: 

II.  As a condition on receipt of state financial assistance under any applicable program by a district public school, chartered public school, public academy, or an institution of higher learning, the facilities of the school or institution shall not (emphasis added) be used to provide shelter or housing for specified aliens.

Rep. Harvey-Bolia seeks to prevent schools (only public ones are in the bill) from closing if immigrants or refugees, here legally, are looking for emergency shelter. She claims, “The bill does not seek to ban the use of schools for immigrant housing so much if you receive state money, then your agreement is you will use schools as schools. We want to keep the schools for schools.” Are these the same schools the legislative majority wants to defund? And why are private, religious schools not included in this bill? 

Luckily, HB 71 has a “humane” exception for something like extreme weather emergencies, something we experience more and more: 
(b) “Short-term” means for a duration not to exceed 72 hours. 

According to Bill Gillett, the International Institute of New England's director of public policy and advocacy, “This bill seems to be directed at something that hasn’t been an issue and is unlikely to become an issue.” 

But that’s not the only bill looking to target immigrants. Rep. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown) has submitted proposed bill SB 13 which would invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants. They tried this last year too and now it’s back again. People who receive these licenses from other states, including those who are undocumented, must pass road test exams, have driver identification, and often maintain car insurance. Not to different from NH requirements for drivers. Why the desire to hassle these folks?

Liberty Alliance member Rep. Tom Walsh (R-Hooksett) has introduced HB 452, a bill concerning drivers' licenses for “aliens” temporarily residing in NH. Why can’t they be as laser focused on extreme weather and climate change?

Again according to Gillett, “. . . extending (legislation) to refugees, asylees and parolees does not make any logical sense, given that they are lawfully admitted into the country and can obtain or can come with work authorization.” 

Fun fact: As of the beginning of this month, NH’s Northern Border Alliance reported law enforcement had no incidents related to illegal immigration at the New Hampshire-Canadian border in the past 6 months.

Just a few days ago, the Biden administration awarded $635 million in grants for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. What will be left undistributed is barely $700,000 of the $2.5 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Law.

These grants from the Biden administration’s zero-emission refueling infrastructure programs will fund 49 projects which will create more than 11,500 EV charging stations and alternative fuel infrastructure. These will be in areas throughout 27 states, four federally recognized Native American tribes, and the District of Columbia area.

Of that money, $368 million will be distributed for 42 projects enlarging EV charging station infrastructure within cities and towns across the country. Seven other projects, earmarked for building out the national fast charging network along designated "Alternative Fuel Corridors", will receive $268 million.

According to the New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation (NHDOT) and New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES), the state received $15 million in federal grant funding. This money is to create additional electric vehicle charging stations across NH under the Federal Highway Administration's Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. These CFI grant funds will manage a program called “Next Level NH,” expanding EV charging stations in rural and urban areas, throughout the state. The grant money is designated to build another 199 charging ports, the equivalent of one gas station pump. 

That would be a huge increase as more people are wanting to turn to EV’s as one way of addressing climate change. According to the DriveElectricNH database, there are 699 public charging ports of all types available at 273 different locations in NH. But we’ve still got a long way to go before we catch up with three other New England states. Maine has 1,164 charging ports in 515 locations; Massachusetts has 8,429 charging ports in 3,461 locations and Vermont has 1,130 charging ports in 444 locations.

The goal of the Biden administration was to create 500,000 EV chargers by 2030. This $15 million in grant money will certainly help NH towards achieving that goal.

The first full week of hearings at the NH House begins with one of the most significant education bills of the year, universal school vouchers. House Bill 115-FN would expand the already unaccountable school voucher program regardless of income. Initial projections of the cost of such a program would exceed $100 million of state money which diverts public money which could be used to support our local public schools and provide property tax relief.

The legislature needs to focus on funding an adequate education for our public school students, fully fund special education, and support the more than 90% of NH students who attend these public schools. The current school voucher program has no guardrails or unaccountability. Public dollars need to be dedicated to our public schools.

ACTION REQUEST

If you agree that legislators need to support our public schools and stop this unwieldly expansion of the school voucher plan, please let the House Education Committee know that you OPPOSE HB 115.

Please use this link to register your opposition to universal vouchers.

Click on the link below to register your opposition to HB 115-FN:

link: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx

1.   Fill in your Personal Information.

2.  Select the relevant date and committee for the hearing by clicking on it in the Meeting Schedule Calendar. HB 115-FN on January 16th

3.   In the dropbox below "Select the Committee," select committee. House Education Funding

4.   In the dropbox below "Choose the Bill," select the appropriate time and bill number. 1:00 PM – HB 115-FN

5.   Select the appropriate option for the "I am" dropbox (likely "Member of the Public").

6.   Fill in the content box under "I'm Representing" with the business, organization, or group you are representing. If you are representing yourself only, write "myself."

7.  Under the “Indicate Your Position on this Bill,” check the circle stating your position on the bill. “I Oppose this Bill”

8.  After filling in all the appropriate dropboxes, click “Submit.”

9.  After clicking submit, you will be brought to the next page, where you will fill in the content boxes with your first and last name, as well as your town, state, and email address.

10. Press “Continue.”

11. If you wish to speak during the hearing to present your testimony, you will need to attend in person at the State House, but you upload your testimony if you cannot attend.

12. If you wish to submit testimony on the bill, email the relevant committee and upload the testimony file from your computer.

Thank you for standing up for New Hampshire’s public schools.

On Sat., Jan. 18th, there is a “People’s March” planned from 1:00-2:30 in downtown Keene. This is in concert with hundreds of other marches that will take place nationally on the same day. Want more information? Click on peoplesmarch.com where you can also register. Then spread the word on your social media, and tell family and friends of this upcoming event. Signs are welcome, you could arrange a sign-making party beforehand or bring some extra signs to share. 

The goal is to connect with each other, inspiring and energizing each other to defend our freedoms, our families, and our future. American's democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. We are all in this together. We can take actions locally that will make a difference, large or small. For instance, attending school board hearings where right now, budgets are being worked on, contacting your representatives on upcoming legislation in Concord, and, very importantly, getting out to vote for local candidates in March! Local governance is just as important to every day life.

We will begin our march to Central Square from Keene State College, meeting at 1:00 at the Appian Way Gate on 229 Main St. Continuing up on Main St. to Central Square, gathering together in solidarity for democracy until 2:30. There will be music, camaraderie and incorporating ideas of what we can do to preserve our threatened democracy.

Please join us at the Keene People's March on Saturday, Jan. 18, and be sure to register at peoplesmarch.com.

“Never be discouraged from being an activist because people tell you that you'll not succeed. You have already succeeded if you're out there representing truth or justice or compassion or fairness or love.”

“Democracy is not something we have. It is something we do.”

Doris Haddock “Granny D”    Jan. 24, 1910 – March 9, 2010

On January 3 I had the pleasure of attending the reception for the swearing in of Maggie Goodlander, our new Congresswoman from New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District. 

There was a pretty good contingent of people - constituents and supporters - who had come down from NH to attend the event. Keene, in particular, was well-represented, and I also appreciate that our new Executive Councilor, Karen Liot Hill made the trip down.

The highlight was when retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Bryer had Maggie take the oath again. I tried to get a good picture, with limited success.

I later got to talk to Maggie for a little bit and, as always, I was impressed by her sincerity in wanting to serve the people she now represents.

Some thoughts on this day, the four year “anniversary” of the (alleged) attempt by a so-called president to incite an insurrection.

Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights

“Section 3 Disqualification from Holding Office:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”

Ratified after the Civil War, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, sometimes referred to as the “Insurrection Clause” or “Disqualification Clause”, disqualifies any person from being a Senator, Representative, or elector of the President or Vice-President, or from holding any federal or state military or civil office, if that person has: (1) sworn to support the Constitution as a Member of Congress, officer of the United States, member of a State legislature, or state executive or judicial officer; and (2) then engages in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution or gives aid or comfort to its enemies. Section 3 further provides that Congress may remove the bar from an otherwise disqualifed person by a two-thirds vote in each House.

Section 3 has rarely been used. In 1872, Congress removed the disqualification bar from all persons except Senators and Representatives of the 36th and 37th Congresses, officers in the judicial, military and naval services, heads of departments and foreign ministers of the US. In 1898, Congress enacted greater legislation removing the remaining Section 3 disability brought on during the Civil War. Act of June 6, 1898, ch. 389, 30 Stat. 432 (the disability imposed by section 3 . . . incurred heretofore, is hereby removed.). During the Reconstruction Era, a lower court held Congress first had to adopt legislation providing for removal from office in order to give effect to Section 3 and, without such legislation, persons in office before the 14th Amendment was put into effect, continued to lawfully exercise their positions. 

On March 4, 2024, in its only decision specifically interpreting Section 3, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Trump v. Anderson that states can’t enforce Section 3 against federal officeholders or candidates. With that ruling, the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Colorado Supreme Court holding Trump to be ineligible for the office of President under Section 3 on the grounds that he engaged in insurrection, therefore, couldn’t be listed on the Colorado presidential primary ballot. 

And here we are . . . again . . .

“Do not obey in advance.” 

Timothy Snyder, historian, author

What is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) makes up the shared culture,  philosophy and relationship of acknowledging, embracing, supporting and accepting those of all differing gender, racial, religious, sexual and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Diversity recognizes the many ways people are different.
Equity tries to correct the imbalance of an unequal society by creating more opportunities for people who historically have had less access. (Equality expects all people should be treated the same, equity takes into account a person’s individual situation, adapts accordingly so the end result is equal.)
Inclusion puts diversity into practice by respecting, supporting, welcoming and valuing all individuals and groups.

Now, what is the Office of Health Equity? That department goes back to 1999, starting out as Office of Minority Health and renamed in 2016 to the Office of Health Equity (OHE). It falls under the umbrella of NH Dept. of Health and Human Services. They provide coaching, guidance, policy, training and technical assistance throughout the whole Department for ongoing improvement related to diversity, equity and inclusion. OHE assures equal opportunity to the beneficial DHHS programs and services across all populations; ethnic, gender and sexual minorities, language, people with disabilities and racial.

What is the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?

The Council works together with the NH Commission for Human Rights, the Civil Rights Unit of the NH Dept. of Justice, and any other appropriate State entities. The Council was established by Executive Order 2017-09  in Dec. 2017.

-They revisit NH laws, regulations, agency policies and procedures. If necessary, they recommend changes or amendments. 

-Identify and recommend ways for the State to support local and community efforts, through educational programs or other sources. 

-Identify and recommend revisions to RSA 354-A and the exact duties of the Commission for Human Rights to fight discrimination while advancing diversity and inclusion.

-Identify and recommend ways for the State to partner with non-governmental organizations to fight discrimination while advancing diversity and inclusion.

What is NH’s Dept. of Environmental Services civil rights and environmental justice all about?

According to the Commissioner, NHDES is dedicated to making sure of equal participation in all activities, programs and projects, regardless of federal funding. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, requires that no person shall be discriminated against, denied the benefit of, or excluded from participation in any program due to race, color, or national origin. Additionally, they ensure equal participation regardless of age, citizenship status, disability, gender identity, income, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, status as a veteran, or any other legally prohibited basis. To achieve this goal, NHDES have adopted a Civil Rights and Nondiscrimination Implementation Plan to make sure proper nondiscrimination measures are put into effect and supervised.

Sounds like a good thing, or maybe not to some . . .?

Rep. Mike Belcher (R-Wakefield), Liberty Alliance and Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) member, would like to see all that go away. He has sponsored a bill proposing to close those three departments, claiming that “no positive work” comes from them.  Rep. Belcher, opines “. . .these departments entirely fly in the face of historic understanding of the nature of government and improperly provide for a form of partiality based on different characteristics from religion to sex to race.”  

Hoo-boy!

Actually, these are guardrails put in place to fight what seems to be a never-ending battle against discrimination aimed at “the other.” Human rights are not a matter of opinion.

Ummm, why the effort to reverse all that?

College is expensive, yes. But the cost of child care can be just as daunting for some families. In 2023 the annual cost for an infant in a child care center was $17,250, rising to $31,870 for families with an infant and a 3 or 4 year-old in child care. Currently, New Hampshire has over 7,000 (26%) child care positions open, but burnout and low wages are pushing care takers from the field and causing some centers to close. Care takers are often striving to care for their own young children while earning wages that are scarcely above the federal poverty line. 

In 2020, NH received around $146 million in federal funds, a one time assistance for child care providers to get through the COVID pandemic. That funding has now run out.

The state will soon be offering a new temporary subsidy program for child care workers to help pay for their own children’s care. It is also the hope of the state these care takers will continue on in their role. A little info:

The state’s current child care scholarship is capped at 85% of state median income. To be eligible, for a family of four, that comes out to about $113,430 a year. This temporary assistance for child care workers raises the cap to 100%, or for a family of four, roughly $133,450 a year. Example; a family of four earning $125,000 would see their annual cost capped at $8,750. 

The subsidy can be used for child care at licensed centers, licensed home centers, and licensed-exempt centers that are state registered and enrolled in the state’s existing child care scholarship programs. Children can go to day care where their parents’ work or any other eligible child care programs.

According to state estimates, as many as 200 child care workers may be able to qualify for this program. If you are in the child care workforce or know of someone who is, please share this information with them. Visit this website to see if you qualify and if so, to apply.

Last week I wrote about the history of vaccines in this country and how many diseases are now either preventable or have reduced symptoms. Also mentioned was proposed legislation to repeal the law that created the New Hampshire Vaccine Association. So, this is basically following up on what the NHVA is. 

NHVA became a law on June 17, 2002, and was incorporated in Nov. 2002. In 2013, the New Hampshire legislature revised this law which is RSA 126-Q, ensuring assessments are shared equally among payers.

The New Hampshire Vaccine Association is a 501 (c) (3), a not-for-profit voluntary corporation working to improve childhood vaccine accessibility. All while keeping the cost of health care low. NHVA funds NH’s universal vaccine purchasing program through a combined approach with health care providers, insurers and the NH Depts. of Insurance and Health and Human Services.

They do not make vaccine laws or policy for the state. They collect and manage the state’s vaccine funding. This way, the state can purchase vaccines for all children, despite their family income or insurance coverage. 

To learn more about the NH Vaccine Association visit their website.

With so many more important issues facing the citizens of NH, such as affordable, available housing, mental health treatment, homelessness and high property taxes, why target the mission of an organization whose goal is to keep schoolchildren safe and healthy?