Two years ago this month, the Supreme Court of the United States did what many elected Republican officials had been hankering for, for nearly fifty years. They overturned Roe v. Wade, taking away basic rights for women and families to make their own healthcare and pregnancy decisions.

For nearly a dozen states, an abortion ban went into effect immediately. Other states, in the grip of regressive Republican rule, began the process of enacting their own misogynistic laws. 

New Hampshire was no exception. Earlier this year, two extreme anti-abortion bills were defeated, as was a bill whose purpose was to “enshrine” abortion rights in our state constitution. I’m sure the extremists will spend the summer crafting other ways to bring women under their thumb.

In response to this extremism, “Monadnock for Choice” came into existence. Their goal is to make abortion access in NH a permanent healthcare choice. They are keeping an eye on proposed legislation which would concern access to women’s healthcare rights and are determined to stay public with all information. 

Monadnock for Choice is sponsoring a rally on Saturday, June 22, 12-1, Central Square, Keene. If you would like to become involved, send an email: monadnockforchoice@gmail.com. But above all, please share this information with others.

Next week HB 1665 will be voted on again. But now it has been amended and is still a slap in the face to taxpayers and students who attend public schools! A quick refresher about this bill. . .

HB 1665 is proposed legislation originally seeking to increase the family eligibility for school vouchers up to 500% of the federal poverty level from $109,500 to $156,000 for a family of four. The prime sponsors were Republican Reps. Glenn Cordelli, Rick Ladd, Joseph Pitre, Kristin Noble, Julius Soti, Kevin Verville, Jacob Brouillard and Alicia Lekas. (Cordelli, Noble, Soti and Lekas are members of "Young Americans for Liberty". Pitre, Noble, Verville and Lekas are members of "Liberty Alliance".) 

On June 6th, a Committee of Conference report was issued with the recommendation “That the House recede from its position of nonconcurrence with the Senate amendment, and concur with the Senate amendment, and That the Senate and House adopt the following new amendment to the bill as amended by the Senate, and pass the bill as so amended”

The amendment would now read as follows: “VI. "Eligible student" means a resident of this state who is eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school and whose annual household income at the time the student applies for the program is less than or equal to [350] 425 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. section 9902(2). No income threshold need be met in subsequent years, provided the student otherwise qualifies. Students in the special school district within the department of corrections established in RSA 194:60 shall not be eligible students.”

In other words, rather than 500% of the federal poverty level the amendment dropped it down to 425%. 

Nearly 90% of NH students attend public schools. This latest increase redirects upwards of $53 million taxpayer dollars to home, private and religious schools. This continues to take away from the public schools. This latest increase has the potential to more than double the cost of this school choice program, a program “Education” Commissioner Edleblut does not want the state to audit. Why not? What is he hiding?

Let’s all do our part in stopping this attack on public schools. Takes only a moment.  Let your legislator know that this is our tax money at stake and that it should be spent on our public schools.

Thank you.

And there’s plenty of events taking place throughout the state!

Keene: A Pride Prom will be held on Sat., June 29 from 7-11 pm at Heberton Hall. For information on this event and others happening such as the upcoming Pride Festival to be held in Sept. visit keenepride.org.

Lebanon: The Lebanon Opera House will be hosting a Pride Picnic on Fri., June 14 at Colburn Park from 6-8:30 pm, followed by a silent disco beginning at 9:00. You provide your own picnic and your own pride gear. To learn more, visit lebanonoperahouse.org.

Manchester: On Sat., June 15, the Pride Parade and Festival takes place, with the parade starting at 11:15 a.m. at the Brady Sullivan Tower. The festival is held at Veterans Memorial Park from 12-6 pm. 

Milford: On Sat., June 9, the Milford Pride Fest is held at Keyes Park on Elm St. This will run from 12-4 pm.

Nashua: Celebrating Nashua’s Pride Festival on Sat. June 22 will begin with a parade at 2:00 on Main St. The Nashua Public Library will host the festival until 6:00 pm. Need more info? Go here, Nashua Pride Festival Facebook page

North Conway: From 10:00 am-4:00pm the White Mountains Pride Fest will take place at the North Conway Community Center Park on Sat., June 29. Featuring live music and activities for every age! whitemountainspride.com.

Portsmouth: Also on June 22, Portsmouth will be hosting its 10th annual Pride event. At 12:30 pm the pride march commences on Pleasant St., ending at Strawbery Banke where there is a main stage.

Windham: On Sun., June 9, Windham will be holding its 4th annual Windham Pride Festival, at the high school from 12:00-4:00 pm. In addition to food trucks and activities for every age, there be live entertainment. Also featured is a youth zone, a pride marketplace and a youth afterparty. More info here, seacoastoutright.org. 

And just over in nearby Bellows Falls, Vermont: At the Bellows Falls Opera House on Thurs., June 20th, a special presentation will be given by Mark S. King HIV survivor, AIDS activist and author of the book My Fabulous Disease. The presentation takes place at 7:30 pm.

 

Perhaps you’ve seen some of these signs along the side of roads in Swanzey, Richmond and Winchester. I’m not sure if there’s signs in any other towns, but these say, “An Appeal to Heaven,” in the middle is a pine tree and then underneath “NHExit.org.” 

OK, so what is this? Some of us first heard of this flag when it was brought to the public’s attention as it was reportedly flown at the New Jersey vacation home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in summer of 2023. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Speaker of the House, has one displayed outside his office in the Capitol building. It was also carried by some of the insurrectionists in their attempt to over take the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A little background history about this particular flag: the pine tree has a long history of New England symbolism as it was flown as far back as 1686 on colonial merchant ships and was known as the “Flag of New England.” It was designed by a Colonel Joseph Reed who was General George Washington’s secretary. The flag thus became a symbol of anger and resistance for the colonists as the Revolutionary War loomed in the near future. 

New Hampshire colonists, resentful of restrictions placed on harvesting the wood, staged the Pine Tree Riot which took place in Weare in 1772, as a strong protest against British rule. The pine tree also appeared on the flag that colonists carried at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June, 1775.

Unfortunately, this “Appeal to Heaven” flag has become a symbol for far-right extremists and Trump supporters. In addition to the unsuccessful insurrection, this flag has appeared at many of Trump’s hate rallies. It is also deeply-rooted in the rhetoric of Christian Nationalism. According to Simmons College (Kentucky) professor and author Jemar Tisby, the American Revolution is viewed by these far-right groups as a “righteous rebellion against an unjust, intrusive government.” 

As an aside, the “Gadsden” flag was also flown during the Revolutionary War and has been making a comeback at far-right rallies. It is a black snake on a yellow background proclaiming “Don’t Tread on Me.” It has become a symbol for conservative and libertarian groups.

So, getting back to the local signs after this little bit of flag history... Apparently, they are brought to us by a Flat Earth Society member from Winchester. Russell Kanning, who ran for and lost his bid to sit on the Winchester school board. To learn more about NHExit, click on the link above.

As we continue to burn fossil fuels, the atmosphere continues to warm up. Which means it holds more moisture. Which means when it rains, it comes down harder and faster. Which means there’s an increase in flooding. In the northeast, extreme rain and snow storms have increased about 60% since the 1950’s. 

Nationally, these extreme weather disasters are occurring more often, costing an average of a billion (yes, with a B) dollars. In the US, we used to come up against (on average) a billion-dollar disaster about every four months. Now, the average is every three weeks. All of this is unsustainable.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a part of the US Department of Agriculture and assist with disaster recovery. What they claim to be observing more now are watersheds changing much faster than they used to, due to extreme storms causing more damage. Matt Brown, an official with New Hampshire’s NRCS office, noted the challenges caused by these changes are becoming larger than what the agency might be equipped to manage in the future.

(Watershed: an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.)

Climate Central, a nonprofit independent group of scientists who research changes in our climate have analyzed average winter temperatures for more than 200 locations nationwide, including Concord. From 1970-2022, Concord's average rate of warming was 6.6 degrees, placing it as one of the Top 5 winter warming locations.

In some NH towns, officials are trying to come to the aid of their townspeople but are discovering they don’t always have the needed resources. For example, the roads and culverts in the town of Gorham experienced much damage during some flooding this past December. The Androscoggin, Moose and Peabody rivers overflowed their banks, now the town is looking to classify floodplains.

Conway has experienced three 100-year floods in thirteen years, with town officials calling Dec.’s flooding the worst ever seen, leaving some town roads shut down. The town is now attempting to determine how best to protect neighborhoods in low lying areas. 

Lack of natural snowfall and fluctuating temperatures have challenged snowmobile businesses during the past several years, causing snowmobile registrations to go down. As we are seeing, warmer winters equal shorter snowmobile seasons, with this past winter a majority of NH’s snowmobile trails closing the first week in March. Ski resorts are able to make artificial snow, but they too, have faced challenges because of shorter winter seasons. This in turn, hurts the winter tourism economy which is the state’s second largest contributor. A lot of these businesses depend on what amounts to about $70 million in revenue. 

In response, there have been bipartisan bills brought forward recently to address this issue. SB 493 would have established municipal emergency disaster relief loan funding to help municipalities in a natural disaster. On Feb. 8th it was referred back to Interim Study. HB 1488 had to do with hazard mitigation funding. On Feb. 15th it was referred back to Interim Study. HB 1466 would have provided disaster relief funding to municipalities after a natural disaster. On May 15th this bill was also referred back to Interim Study. 

(Interim Study: a procedure which legislators use to explore complicated policy topics during the time in between regular legislative sessions. The purpose is to gather research sometimes involving public committee meetings where people testify on the topic. The study itself is not binding.) 

If you are concerned about extreme weather becoming the norm, ask your candidate(s) how they feel about this topic and if they plan to address it with urgency. 

“Science is the key to our future, and if you don’t believe in science, then you’re holding everyone back.”          Bill Nye, the science guy

“This is not a one time thing. This is our entire future.” 
                                                     Greta Thunberg, climate activist

No, this is a nationwide effort at creating unnecessary roadblocks for certain groups of people. The latest nationwide “outrage” is the possibility of non-citizens voting in our federal elections. Earlier this month Republican House Representatives Mike Johnson (La.), Chip Roy (Tx.) and Republican Senator Mike Lee (Utah) proposed a bill that would require people to show approved proof of American citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. This would include a birth certificate, a military ID, a naturalization certificate, a US passport or a government-issued photo ID card showing the person’s birthplace was in the US.

According to Rep. Johnson, “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections, but it’s not been something that is easily provable. We don’t have that number.”

(Intuitively: by means of direct perception, an instinctive inner sense, or gut feeling rather than rational thought.)

No, we don’t all intuitively know any such thing.

“It’s not provable because there’s no proof,” stated Democrat Rep. Joe Morelle (NY).

However, there are known estimates that have shown to be exceptionally low. A nationwide survey found the amount of noncitizens suspected to have voted in the 2016 election was about 30. Out of millions of voters! This federal bill sounds more like a solution looking for an “intuitive” problem.

A voter advocacy organization called “Voting Rights Lab” has determined that since the 2020 election, elected officials have rewritten rules that govern our democracy and elections. According to a report from the Voting Rights Lab, more than 560 new laws concerning elections are now in effect since 2020.

Which brings me to what was reported about New Hampshire. Voters will have a lot less access to the ballot box this year than we did in 2020. After getting rid of the temporary expansions during the pandemic, NH has now become one of three states where the only option for most voters will be to vote in person on Election Day.

That should go over well for those who have no car/don’t drive or are handicapped.

Additionally, a lot of these new potential rules make it more likely that people who register to vote on Election Day will have their ballots rejected as they will not have the newly required documentation with them. 

Here’s something to remember before this very important election cycle. We seem to be struggling still . . .

“Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.”

— Susan B. Anthony, women’s rights activist during the suffragette movement in the early 20th century. 

“The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.”

— John Lewis, late civil rights activist and member of the US House of Representatives for Georgia.

Former Rep. Ross Berry (R), Liberty Alliance and Young Americans for Liberty member, resigned last week from the New Hampshire House. The day before his resignation, he was removed as Chair of the Election Law Committee. So, what happened?

Apparently, Berry plotted an elaborate ruse to have Democrat legislators elsewhere when a committee meeting was going to be held. The meeting of the Election Law Committee was to reconsider CACR 22, which was a constitutional amendment to enshrine NH’s status to hold the first presidential primary in the nation. Without the Democrats at the meeting Republicans would be assured of the majority vote. 

In a nutshell, on May 9th, Speaker Packard requested of the House members they stay in their seats to attend a “Safety Briefing” about an evacuation plan for Reps. Hall in the event of an emergency. He stated it was important for everyone to attend. Everyone did, except, you guessed it, Republican members of the Election Law Committee. 

According to the complaint that was filed with Speaker Packard, “When the first 4 Democrats entered LOB 306 for the meeting at 11:58:46 AM, all the Republican members were already seated and waiting for the meeting to start. The instant that 4 Democrats entered the room and before they had a chance to be seated, Chair Berry opened the executive session – immediately calling for a voice vote for reconsideration of CACR 22. The vote took 17 seconds, at which time Chair Berry recessed the executive session.” 
“When the 6 remaining Democrats entered the room at noon, they were unaware that a vote had been taken prior to their arrival.”

The complaint emphasized several important issues, among them: 
- Berry’s refusal to clarify procedural queries and maintain decorum; 
- failure to inform the committee about the reconsideration of CACR 22 beforehand;
- the rushed timing of the votes. 

According to the complaint, this was a calculated attempt to manipulate the committee’s recommendation process by holding the executive session during the Safety Briefing and lunch break, making sure the reconsideration vote took place before all Democrat members arrived. 

To make matters worse, again according to the complaint, Berry admitted what he did was to retaliate against what he thought was Democrat manipulation on a previous bill, weakening bipartisanship and trust in the committee.

Shortly after the complaint was given to the Speaker, Berry was removed as committee chair, resigning from the House the next day.

Here’s another example of half a dozen bills that were defeated by those in the majority in Concord:

HB 1199 would direct New Hampshire’s Office of the Child Advocate to identify and develop programs meant to support young people who are experiencing homelessness. The prime sponsor was Democrat Rep. Patrick Long. Republican Liberty Alliance member Joe Sweeney brought it to a vote to indefinitely postpone, which means the bill was basically defeated.

HB 1322 addressed raising the minimum wage. The prime sponsors were Democrat Reps. Kathy Staub, Christine Seibert, Timothy Horrigan, Tony Kaplan and Kristina Schultz. Republican Liberty Alliance member Joe Sweeney brought it to a vote to indefinitely postpone, which means the bill was defeated.

HB 1470 was meant to create a committee to study the practicality of using tax credits to motivate construction of low-income and workforce housing. The prime sponsors were Democrat Reps. Matt Wilhelm and Hope Damon. Republican Liberty Alliance member Joe Sweeney brought it to a vote to indefinitely postpone, which means the bill was defeated.

HB 1520 would have established a family assistance car ownership pilot program for those who take part in the Bureau of Family Assistance (this would be through the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services.) The prime sponsors were Democrat Reps. Joe Schapiro, William Palmer and Kristina Schultz. This bill was defeated.

HB 1611 would have created a childcare workforce fund, meant to build up the amount of much needed employees in the field of childcare. The prime sponsors were Democrat Reps. Amanda Toll, David Paige, Rebecca McWilliams, David Preece, Candace O’Neil and Mary Jane Wallner. This bill was defeated.

We can see time and time again the types of bills brought forth by representatives who want to improve lives or lend a helping hand to those who may only need temporary assistance. From children who are homeless to those seeking safe, affordable (sometimes non-existent) childcare, only one group of representatives continuously turn a blind eye to fellow human beings who are down on their luck and just need that occasional helping hand.

Let’s reverse this trend in November.

Whether it’s local, state or federal, this year’s upcoming elections will determine if New Hampshire, along with the rest of the United States goes full blown fascist or works to strengthen our democracy which has been under attack. 

As many of you know, I have written about the Free Staters, members of the Liberty Alliance and Young Americans for Liberty organizations here in New Hampshire. There have been articles showcasing how many of these members, who are in our local government, have voted. A majority of these votes are to the detriment of the average citizen. 

But how can one determine if the candidate, running for re-election or is a first timer, is anti-democracy? The following checklist is from “Granite State Matters”:

How to Identify Anti-Democracy Candidates

Watch for a candidate who wants to:

• DEFUND, CLOSE OR TOTALLY DEREGULATE what they’re elected to run. For instance, a zoning board candidate might point out a harmful zoning law and then conclude that all zoning regulations should be repealed.
• HARASS OR THREATEN those managing the town, county, or other employees. For instance, they may demand extra reviews, audits, copies, meetings or forms.
• PROMOTE anti-intellectual and anti-scientific attitudes and policies. (Ivermectin, sunshine and bleach immediately come to mind. My words, not Granite State Matters.)
• HIDE FROM TAXPAYER SCRUTINY the use or outcomes from taxpayer spending, such as educational vouchers.
• MAKE ELECTIONS AND VOTING MORE DIFFICULT by requiring hand counts, unusual documentation, complicating absentee voting and so on.

Simply put, know your candidate to the best of your ability.

“Mere passive citizenship is not enough. Men must be aggressive for what is right if government is to be saved from those who are aggressive for what is wrong.”   

Robert La Follette, Aug. 11, 1924, a lawyer and Republican politician from Wisconsin.

Recently, HB 1569 was passed in the New Hampshire House. The goal of this legislation is to make voting harder. If a voter affidavit was needed as proof of identification at a polling place, that process has now been taken away. This bill now heads to the state Senate on Thursday, May 16 for a vote there. What could happen if the Senate passes it?

Imagine if you were taken off your town’s checklist (unbeknownst to you) and you go to vote. But you don’t have the now required documents with you that confirm you are a citizen, such as naturalization papers, a passport or birth certificate and have no easy access to them. Because who carries those documents around with them? Perhaps you think your NH driver’s license (including the REAL ID) is enough, but no, that does not prove citizenship. Or you are a young, new voter who has never had a passport and doesn’t know where the birth certificate is. There are now no affidavits that you can sign attesting to your citizenship, so you can’t vote.

This is another version of voter suppression, which could prohibit any citizen the right to register and vote in any election simply because they do not have the required documents or if said documents can’t be located in state databases. Proof of citizenship has never been required before and could therefore create a huge burden, possibly depriving thousands of citizens from exercising their right to vote. This bill would also revise the state’s voter challenge system by requiring challenged voters to appear in superior court, just so their ballots can be counted.

That would mean time or a day out of work. 

This proposed legislation would set up a new, unproven and untested verification hotline system to be used by election workers. The election workers would need to call a “hotline” in order to verify the qualifications of citizens who do not have the required documentation with them. Good grief! And where does the money come from to pay for this new “hotline system?” 

Yup. Taxpayers. 

Studies have shown NH’s elections are run safely and securely. Even David Scanlan, the Secretary of State has stated there is “no evidence” of voter fraud. According to a recent UNH poll, 93% of voters were confident that the ballot counts were accurate as of this past Feb. 

HB 1569 is simply a bill in search of a problem and not needed. 

Contact your state Senator by sending this (linked) email urging them to oppose this proposed legislation. Takes only