Thanks to the good folks at Hippo Press for the nice write-up in this week's paper!
Liberty Alliance sees uptick

A minor error has been discovered in the 2010 Liberty Rating, in the Five-Year Honor Roll.  Both Andy Renzullo and Lynne Ober have grades of A in the Liberty Rating, but in the Five-Year Honor Roll, their grades for 2010 are listed incorrectly as A-.  The grades for both should be listed as A for 2010.  Only the Five-Year Honor Roll is affected.

Thanks to Jon Maltz for pointing this out.  Our sincere apologies to Representatives Renzullo and Ober.

This is the seventh annual Liberty Rating issued by the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance. Bills have been carefully selected for inclusion which clearly demonstrate the level of respect our elected representatives show for our individual rights and liberties.

We’d like to congratulate our Legislator of the Year, Carol McGuire, and our Activist of the Year, Matt Simon, for their tireless efforts to promote and enhance liberty in the State of New Hampshire.

Thanks to all who attended the 2010 Liberty Dinner. The Union Leader ran a nice article, Liberty Dinner attracts candidates.

Thanks and Congratulations to Carol McGuire, Legislator of the Year, Matt Simon, Activist of the Year, and to all who helped make this event a tremendous success!

Liberty Dinner

This year’s Liberty Dinner will be held on Sunday, July 11 at The Chateau Restaurant, 201 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H. (map)

We will be presenting the Legislator of the Year and Activist of the Year awards, as well as unveiling our annual Liberty Rating legislative scorecard. There will be a silent auction fund-raiser, and more.

Dinner is from 6:00 – 8:00 pm and the keynote speaker will be Harvard economist and author Jeffrey Miron. Miron is Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. His area of expertise is the economics of libertarianism, and has recently published a book entitled “Libertarianism from A to Z.” To learn more, visit his website at http://jeffreymiron.com/.

The VIP Reception will be from 5:00 – 6:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to chat with some of our liberty loving Reps, while enjoying appetizers and a cash bar.

This year’s Liberty Dinner will be held on Sunday, July 11 at The Chateau Restaurant, 201 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H. (map).

NHLA “Don’t Touch” Policy

In May 2010, the NHLA Board of Directors sat with members to hear thoughts and concerns regarding the informal “Don’t Touch Issues” policy. There were over 30 people in attendance with many having traveled great distances to be heard. The level of respect and professionalism displayed was impressive.

Feedback on this matter was also solicited via email input from the membership for 2½ months. Over 35 members wrote in expressing their thoughts, all of which were reviewed by the Board. Many of those who were unable to attend the meeting had their comments read aloud by a Board member. The Board would like to thank all of the members who took time to provide input on this matter.

After reviewing all of the comments offered by members and spending a great deal of time deliberating, the Board has come to the conclusion that taking the pro-liberty position on pending legislation where a controversial topic might be involved is in line with our mission statement of “A non-partisan coalition working to increase individual freedom in New Hampshire.” By stating the pro-liberty position clearly and consistently, even on issues that may be uncomfortable to some (as demonstrated with medical marijuana), the NHLA will stand as a beacon for the principled reduction of government and for the growth of freedom in New Hampshire.

The Board elections have closed and we’re pleased to announce that Steve Villee will be returning as our Treasurer, and Keith Ammon has been elected as our new Membership Director.

NHLA Policy Discussion

On Saturday, May 8^th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, the NHLA will hold a special meeting to give all members an opportunity to express their support or objection to the NHLA’s long-standing, informal policy of “Don’t Touch” issues. The criteria for each issue’s inclusion on an official “Don’t Touch” policy list are that valid, principled-based, pro-liberty positions can be made on both sides of the issue. This event will be held at Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester, N.H. Details of the event are listed below.