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January, 2010 newsletter

Wed, 2010-01-27 00:49 -0400 — jraxis

Special Election Victories

The board is proud to announce that the three candidates endorsed by the NHLA won in each of their special elections. We extend our congratulations to:

  • Kenneth Weyler in Rockingham District 8 who defeated Norman Hurley in the general election for State Representative by a vote count of 1,005 to 287;
  • Steve Cunningham in Sullivan District 2 who defeated Arthur Jillette in the general election for State Representative by a vote count of 616 to 319; and
  • Representative David Boutin in State Senate District 16 who defeated Terry Pfaff in the primary election by a vote count of 1,670 to 857. The general election for this race is February 16th when Rep. Boutin will face Representative Jeff Goley to determine who will fill Ted Gatsas’s senate seat. Joseph “JR” Hoell, who was running as an independent in this race and who scored a 100% score on the NHLA candidate survey, was unable to fulfill the required number of signatures to be on the ballot.

With these three victories, it is clear that the electorate is dissatisfied with tax-and-spend legislators. The NHLA Political Action Committee will play a part in advancing liberty in this year’s elections. You can play a part by donating to our PAC Fund http://donate.nhliberty.org/, so that in November, we can celebrate victories by more pro-liberty candidates.

One More Special Election

There is one more special election that will take place in Coos County District 2 (Carrol, Dalton, Jefferson, Kilkenny, Lancaster, Northumberland, Randolph, Stark, Stratford, Whitefield) for State Representative.

The primary election for this race is on February 2nd.

Republican voters will chose between NHLA-endorsed Eric S. Catman, Sr. of Stark, who scored a 100% score on the NHLA candidate survey, and former State Representative John E. Tholl, Jr. of Whitefield, who ran unsuccessfully in 2008 and has NHLA Liberty Rating grades for years served of: 2005 D+, 2006 C, 2007 C+, 2008 B.

Democrat voters will chose between John R. Roberge of Northumberland, who ran unsuccessfully in 2008, and Eugene Montgomery of Northumberland. Neither of these candidates returned the NHLA candidate survey, so we are unable to make any endorsements in this race.

The general election for the seat is on March 9th.

Endorsements are based on candidate surveys and/or Liberty Rating scores from previous House incumbency voting records. For more discussion on these elections and candidates, visit the forum board at http://forum.nhliberty.org/index.php?topic=2664.0.

Election Training Session

On Saturday, Feb 6th at Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester, the NHLA will be hosting a candidate/campaign training session for anyone who has decided to run, is considering a run, or wants to help someone who is running for State Representative or State Senate in November.

Training will be presented by former NHLA board member and former State Representative Don Gorman. Mr. Gorman served as State Representative from 1973 to 1976, then again from 1992 to 1996, and is currently serving on the Town of Deerfield School Board.

Other board members and State Representatives (former and current) will be in attendance as well to assist in the session and help answer any questions that are presented. The session will start promptly at 1:00 pm.

Bring a notebook and ask lots of questions. R.S.V.P. to chair@nhliberty.org.

Local Elections

Anyone interested in making a pro-liberty change at the local level by running for local office (town council, selectman, school board, planning board, etc.) will want to contact Jane Aiken at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers (CNHT). Jane is knowledgeable about local politics and she can provide you with information needed to run a successful local campaign. The filing period for local office is NOW, January 21-28, and the elections are on March 9th. Contact Jane TODAY! Her email address is Jane@nhlibertycalendar.org. The CNHT website is www.cnht.org.

Liberty Forum

The NHLA will be participating in the 2010 NH Liberty Forum scheduled for March 18-21, 2010. This year’s event promises to be a spectacular engagement, as usual. Friday night’s keynote speaker is Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News’ Freedom Watch.

Tickets to the event are available at www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum. Book today and use code 2010NHLA for a 10% discount!

We are currently seeking volunteers to man the NHLA table at the event. If you would like to volunteer an hour or two of your time, please email chair@nhliberty.org for more information.

Bill Review Training Sessions

Over the past two months, the NHLA has successfully held four Bill Review training sessions (Manchester, Concord, Epsom, and Hopkinton) with over 50 attendees in all. These sessions have proven to be quite valuable with:

  • easing new people into the Bill Review process;
  • helping them understand the structure of how a bill becomes law;
  • showing them what to look for in proposed legislation; and
  • familiarizing them with the ins and outs of the Bill Review system.

If there are members who would like us to schedule another Bill Review training session, please contact us. This would be an opportunity for those who attended one of the past sessions to refresh yourself on the process and gain some new insights, as well as include those first-timers who were unable to attend previously. If interested, please email chair@nhliberty.org.

NHLA on Facebook.com

One of the best ways to stay connected with upcoming events, rallies, protests, public hearings, key legislation, and other liberty activities in New Hampshire is to get linked with the NHLA on Facebook.com. Be the first to know about NHLA events and news happening at the State House and around New Hampshire. To get connected, just click on this link http://facebook.nhliberty.org/ and become a fan.

Other Activism

For anyone who is passionate about alternative education methods as opposed to the compulsory government (public) school system in New Hampshire, below is a list of some of the pro-liberty groups and organizations you may want to get involved with.

(Disclaimer: This list is provided for informational purposes. The NHLA does not necessarily endorse or agree with all positions taken by these groups.)

  • New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition is the largest nonsectarian homeschooling support group in New Hampshire. Their purpose is strictly to be a support group for New Hampshire parents interested in or already homeschooling. They do not get involved politically. NHHC supports all methods and reasons for homeschooling and has a website that provides parents with information and online resources for getting started with homeschooling. Their “NH Home Education Guidebook” publication is for anyone wanting to get oriented with homeschooling in N.H. To learn more, visit www.nhhomeschooling.org.
  • Cornerstone Policy Research is an organization committed to providing people with up-to-date research and information on policy issues affecting New Hampshire families. Their sister group CPR Action is the legislative advocacy arm of Cornerstone Policy Research. CPR’s education coordinator, Ann Marie Banfield, is knowledgeable about N.H. education issues, the NECAP scoring and its shortcomings, and the UN-based International Baccalaureate (IB) program. To learn more, visit www.nhcornerstone.org. You may also want to visit Capitol Access for an interview with Ann Marie regarding the IB program.
  • National Home Education Legal Defense is a national organization that supports all homeschooling approaches and families of all faiths. This pro-liberty group is a strong advocate of parents’ rights to educate their children and its founder, Deborah Stevenson, was involved in the development of this year’s house bill HB1580 – relative to parents’ right to determine and direct the education of their children. To learn more, visit www.nheld.com.
  • Alliance for the Separation of School and State was formed in 1994 by educators and parents and is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with no political or religious affiliations. Their sole purpose is to educate families on the true nature and dangers of compulsory state schooling and show them how to take back the freedom and control of educating their children. Their president, Allen Schaeffer, has been a guest speaker at previous NH Liberty Forums and their website is a great resource of news and information. To learn more, visit www.schoolandstate.org.